


Defiers of Destiny

by HylianHeat (Promise_to_the_Moon)



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen, Gerudo Culture, Gerudo Link, I fell in love with the Growing up Gerudo au, Mute Link, Post BotW, lots of Adventure, lots of fluff, technically, the ganondad au no one asked for, thus I was inspired to write this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2018-10-18 21:41:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10625694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Promise_to_the_Moon/pseuds/HylianHeat
Summary: Ganondorf knows he's been cursed by the gods, his power lies dormant. Despite that, he tries to live a normal life, ready to fight the curse. His determination only increases when he adopts an orphaned child. He will do anything to protect his son, even if that means he must defy the gods themselves.





	1. Prologue and Verdict

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this a while back, then I discovered Growing up Gerudo was a thing and that motivated me to continue writing this. I hope you enjoy and reviews are greatly appreciated, they're my motivational fodder after all.

 

Prologue

Ganon was never one to believe in destiny. It was a concept used to manipulate those with feeble minds to perform tasks for those who held positions of power. He was none too pleased on his sixteenth birthday when he was bucked off of his horse in the middle of the desert en route to the Nayru Oasis. If it weren’t for a passing caravan, he surely would have perished in the unforgiving terrain. While he recovered from his concussion in the safety of the enclosed wagon, he noticed something peculiar; his hand seemed to have obtained a faint golden tattoo of three triangles, the top one was colored in quite vibrantly. At first he thought he was imagining it due to the heat and his aching head, but when he recovered at the oasis, the odd triangle still persisted.

As a precaution, he wrapped his hand with gauze to keep the mark hidden until he knew what it was. Upon returning home, his sisters greeted him as usual, save for Maleeha, who always seemed to know when there was something awry. She pulled him aside indiscreetly and urged him to unwrap his hand binding. He did so and frowned when she stared at him peculiarly.

“It can’t be.” Maleeha grumbled to herself as she turned Ganon’s hand at various angles. “Gan, please tell me where you got this.”

“I don’t know.” he closed his eyes and shook his head. “It showed up after my horse ran off. Do you know what it is?”

“I know of it, but I don’t know much about it. Some legends say it’s a gift from the Goddesses, others say it’s a curse. All I am certain of is that it’s part of the Hylian culture, it’s called the triforce.”

“Why would I have something Hylian in nature?” He looked at the strange symbol with a grimace. The Gerudo, his people, wanted nothing to do with their war-mongering neighbors to the north. When the two interacted, the result was typically unnecessary bloodshed.

“That I don’t know.” Maleeha responded with a small grin. “Perhaps it is time you travel to Centrailia City, you could knock out two sparrows with one stone.”  
Centrailia City was the capital of Central Province, a hub for students, merchants, and refugees alike. It was common for his people to send off their teenagers to the city to learn a trade or skill, and he was at that age. In addition to becoming an apprentice, he could make use of the numerous libraries to shed light on the mysterious triforce mark now imbedded in his skin. All around, it didn’t seem too terrible an idea.

“I’ll do it.” he stated with a nod of his head.

“Good, make sure to keep it covered up, there’s been grim rumors of this going around.” Ganon hadn’t heard of these rumors, but he tended to ignore the news reports his older sisters were always discussing at the lunch hall. “Don’t let your temper get you arrested, ‘cause I won’t bail you out.” Maleeha chuckled and she ruffled her little brother’s hair. Ganon knew he could be a bit of a hothead sometimes, but he wouldn’t do anything brash. Probably. He gently swatted his sister’s hand away and laughed with her.

“I won’t.” he promised, then went to his room to pack his things. The journey itself shouldn’t take more than three days, weather and his horse permitting. How long he’d be gone was a different matter entirely. He already had experience as a blacksmith, but he wanted to try something different, like carpentry or masonry. He’d have plenty of time to figure it out when he was on the road.

* * *

 

It took Ganon two months to become accustomed to the bustle of the large city. For one, it wasn’t in a desert environment, and he didn’t think he’d ever get used to the mugginess in the air. The people, customs, and foods were diverse; not that it was bad, it was merely different from what he was used to. One thing he didn’t like about the city was living on his own, he didn’t know how everyone else was able to live this way. It was terribly lonely.

While slumping into a chair, Ganon took a sip of his mead. It was sweet and it sent a warm tingle throughout his body. The tavern was in the university district and packed with people of all ages and races. There a few half-Gerudos, but none of them were from the communes based on the way they were dressed. A group of Sheikah sat near the fireplace and Ganon couldn’t help but stare seeing as he’d never seen one of them before.

“Hi, excuse me.” Ganon turned his head to see a young woman staring at him expectantly. Her clothes were even more strange than what the rest of the city folk wore. What really piqued his interest was the triforce symbol embroidered on the sleeves of her shirt. Despite living in the city for two months, he was clueless about what the triforce was.

“Can I help you?” he asked with a slight tinge of agitation. If she noticed it at all, she didn’t show it. The woman had a light complexion and long pointed ears, clearly a Hylian. He wasn’t too keen on making conversation with someone who was likely to look down on him.

“Yes, actually!” her bubbly tone was grating and shrill. “I’m an anthropologist from Castle City. You’ve heard of it, right?”

“Of course.” he responded while fidgeting with a loose strand of hair that fell out of one of his braids. Everyone knew Castle City was the capital of New Hylia, it was a fortress not to be trifled with.

“Excellent. I was hoping I could ask you a few questions for my research paper.”

“I suppose so.” honestly he didn’t think it was a great idea, but maybe he could ask her about the triforce in return.

“Great!” she pulled out a pile of parchment and a quill. “Can I ask your full name? It’ll be kept confidential of course.”

“It’s Ganondorf Adinaya of the Lesinea Commune.” he beamed with pride as he spoke his name. Lesinea was one of the largest Gerudo communes and Adinaya was amongst the oldest of the families, dating back to their founder, Nabooru.

“That’s an awfully long name.”

“Yes, but we typically go by our first names. I’m sorry, I don’t think I got your name.”

“Iphe.”

“Just Iphe?”

“Just Iphe.” she affirmed as she finished scrawling something down on her parchment. “Only our nobles have complicated titles.” Ganon wasn’t sure if that was a jab at him or not, so he thought it was best to leave it be. He took a large sip of his mead and noted it was almost empty. “Anyway, what’s it like being the only male in your tribe?”

Ganon choked on his mead and he spit it back into the mug. Some of the bar patrons glanced in his direction with curious eyes. “Excuse me?”

“Our books say that a male Gerudo is born once every hundred years.”

“Your books are terribly outdated then.” Ganon clenched his fists and he took deep breaths. He couldn’t let his temper get the best of him, not here. Sure, Gerudo tended to have more women in their families, but there were still quite a few men.

“My apologies.” she waved it off and smiled like it was nothing.

“Oh, there ya are. Get lost, did ya?” a voe with a rather impressive afro put his hand on Ganon’s shoulder and motioned for him to follow. “Excuse me.” he butted himself in front of Iphe and led Ganon to the table with the half-drunken Sheikahs.

As he sat down, he was offered drinks and food, it was all overwhelming. He ate some of the peppered skewers and decided it was best not to question the situation.

“Sorry to snag ya like that, didn’t want ya gettin’ into trouble.”

“Yeah, kid, you look new here.” one of the Sheikah said after taking a gulp of her whisky. His loose cotton clothing did not fit in well with the city, but they were too comfortable to buy anything else. “Just a tip for you, if someone from Castle City wants to talk to you, ignore them and be on your way. They’re all a bunch of pretentious snobs, except Daren, he’s cool.” she pointed her thumb at the voe with the afro.

“You’re Hylian?” was the only thing Ganon could think to ask.

“Unfortunately.” one of his friends responded and jabbed Daren in the side with his elbow. Everyone at the table chuckled before focusing on their notebooks and drinks.

“So, what brings ya into town?” Daren asked, his words slurring more ever so slightly the more he drank.

“I’m studying history,” he was going to leave it at that, but since Daren was Hylian, maybe he knew about the triforce, “I’m writing a thesis on the legend of the triforce. Do you know where I can find some information?”

“Oh, sure, the Nibo Library on Main Street has tons of mythology and history books. Watch out for the librarian though, she’s a weird one.”

“Thank you.” he stood up and made sure everything he needed was in his bags, “Thanks for the food.” he walked out of the tavern and made his way towards the main road.

The library was three stories high and hard to miss due to it being made out of irregularly cut marble instead of wood and bricks like the rest of the city’s buildings. The symbols for all of Hyrule’s races were beautifully carved around the base of the structure. Despite its odd appearance, it was impressive to see. The library was amazing on the inside as well. Tapestries depicting all sorts of historical scenes covered the auburn walls. There were mottos in different languages carved into the massive support pillars. He only recognized one, which was written in an old and outdated version of the Gerudo language, ‘ _Daughters of the sand, Messengers of the sun, Beware the Chosen One’s brand_ ’. It was a motto commonly found painted on old pots and embroidered into cloths. The meaning of it had been lost to time, not even the wise Gerudo elders knew what it meant.

“Fascinating, isn’t it?” a voice spoke suddenly from behind him. He jumped slightly and turned around only to be faced with a middle aged Hylian woman with light brown skin.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s alright.” she smiled at him and focused her attention on the carvings.

“This one here is in ancient Hylian.” the librarian pointed to the words underneath the Gerudo motto. “It says, ‘ _Against all odds he traversed through the dark, Again he must defend the light, Be wary the Chosen’s mark, For he summons the blight_ ’."

Ganon observed her closely, now he was interested. “That one up there is Sheikah, ‘ _Our people endure time after time, Be watchful of the Goddess’ sign, For it summons the malevolent swine_ ’. What do you make of this?”

“I don’t know,” he responded truthfully, “What do they mean?”

“No one is certain, though I have my theories.”

“Could you tell me more?” at this point, he was curious and the librarian seemed to really know her stuff.

“Certainly!” it seemed she was excited to teach him all she knew. “Follow me. Oh, and what was your name?”

“Ganondorf.” he decided not to give her his whole name in case she judged him like the Hylian from the tavern did, but he doubted she would care.

“Ah, a traditional Gerudo name.” she bowed with her right hand over her heart, which was a sign of respect amongst his people. “I’m Phura, I research Hyrule’s ancient histories, it’s refreshing to see a new face in here so eager to learn.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Ganon responded and gave her a bow as well. They walked up a spiral staircase and sat at a table covered with mounds of books. Many of them had worn covers, yellowed pages, a few of them were written in ancient languages that he couldn’t understand. “About those carvings, I couldn’t help but notice something strange about them.”

“Oh?” Phura grinned and looked at him expectantly, like she knew what he was thinking. It was slightly unnerving.

“Well, they all allude to the same thing. There’s some sort of symbol that had these people frightened, and it had to do with some chosen person.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, they’re definitely connected somehow. Maybe there was an evil ruler, I know back in the day they believed their kings were chosen by the gods.”

“Interesting idea. Who’s to say this chosen one was inherently evil, however?”

“I don’t know, the whole ‘he summons the blight’ sounds sinister, and all of them are essentially warnings for this entity. Are there any more verses?”

“Of course.” Phura grabbed a cracked leather bound book which had a dull blue feather sewn into the binding. “This is a book written by a Rito historian some two hundred years ago. Thankfully it is similar enough to the modern Rito language, as the ancient version is one of the few I am not proficient in.” she flipped through the pages until she found a bookmark. “Ah, here it is, ‘I have flown high and low all over Hyrule in search for the secrets of the old civilizations. There must be a connection between the findings I have come across. Grandmother let me have her shawl, which I was surprised to discover had the saying of old embroidered in it in modern terms.

_With proud wings we must fly, The chosen will betray all, his deceit we will defy_

Not the brightest and cheeriest thing I’d expect to see on a scarf, but there it is, a warning to my people. Oddly enough, it seems all the races in Hyrule have a warning riddle against this fiend. Is he destined to raze the land in my time? Perhaps he already struck in the past, or he will strike in the future. If so, I must warn everyone I can to be prepared. I believe this might be related to the devastating events that happened 100 years ago, though accounts on what happened are not entirely clear.  
The Hylians still remain cut off from the rest of Hyrule, and they refuse to let any visitors in. I have spoken to the descendants of those who were able to flee, though they would not tell me of the event. Either they did not know themselves, or the memory was too painful for them to relay.

One day, I hope Central Hyrule will be open to all. The castle, in ruins as it may be, must be filled with ancient texts I’d love to get my wings on. I fear-’”

“Is that all?” Ganon asked when Phura stopped reading. Surely there was more to it than that.

“I’m afraid so. This book was not treated kindly over the years, water damage has rendered a majority of it unreadable. It’s a shame, really, this Rito was a talented historian, he didn’t think to have his findings published or copied.”

Ganon mulled everything he had learned over in his head and he took deep breaths. It was by no coincidence the races had similar warnings about a supposed harbinger of doom. He couldn’t shake the feeling this was related to the mysterious mark that appeared on his hand. It had since faded so it could barely be seen, but he could still feel its presence. Surely they all couldn’t be alluding to him, he was only a teenager, the thought of causing anyone serious harm made him queasy.

“Are you okay, dear?” Phura asked, concerned.

“Yeah, sorry, it’s pretty late. Thank you for the help.” she nodded as he stood to go back to his apartment.

Over the course of several weeks, when Ganon wasn’t busy with his apprenticeship, he was in the library. There were plenty of translated books he read with ease, but he made sure to call over Phura when he found a book in some ancient words. He learned more history than he thought he ever would, he felt a tad remorseful for not paying attention in his aunt’s classes.

Soon he’d have to return home, leaving the fascinating library behind. He decided to venture to the third floor for the first time. It had the smallest amount of space, less decorations, and it was dimly lit. The books seemed to be far older than the ones on the second floor, they looked fragile and he was almost too frightened to grab one in case he damaged it somehow. He wasn’t exactly the most graceful person, after all. One book in particular caught his attention. It had gold trimmed pages and a brown leather cover, adorned with runes, and most glaringly of all, a golden symbol of the triforce. With care, he grabbed the book and took it downstairs.

Phura was sitting at a table with two cups of safflina tea, she grinned as he sat down and started sipping his tea.

“What if,” Phura started to say, and Ganon made sure to pay attention. She usually started their conversations with an interesting story, and on top of that he was raised to listen to his elders. “Your whole life, you were told you could only be one thing. From the day you could start walking, you were told to tend to the goat herd. And so you do. By the time you’re an adult, you have mastered herding the goats, milking them, making cheese and butter. You’re a skilled shepherd now, as you’d been told you’d become. You can’t imagine life being any other way, this is your destiny.”

She took a sip of her tea and continued, “One day, you decide to travel and share your experiences with other shepherds. When you arrive in the city, you discover there is much more to the world than shepherding. There’s so much to learn, and you find that you want to discover more. But you can’t, your destiny is to herd goats. So, you ignore destiny’s call, and never turn back. For once, you’re able to decide what you want to do.”

Ganon looked at her in silence, not sure how to respond. She grabbed the book out of his hands and set it under one of the many book piles that were amassed on the table.  
“Come now, you should be headed back home, I’m sure your family is eager to see you. I have something to give you before you leave.” she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a plain journal. Ganon grabbed it and placed it in his own bag.

“Thank you, for everything.” he gave her a hug and she led him to the door.

“Don’t be a stranger.” Phura said before stopping him one last time, “Oh, and I know what the people around here think of me, I have a few screws loose. Between you and me, the legends aren’t as legendary as everyone believes. Take care.”

And with that, it was time for Ganon to go home.

On his trek, he took out the journal and was surprised to see it was all in Phura’s handwriting. She wrote about her travels and discoveries, the first few entries from many years prior noted the triforce was merely a Hylian symbol used for architectural and fashion reasons. The last entry was written only two days before.

‘ _I can tell you have been struggling with this information. The legend of the triforce is an interesting one for sure, shrouded with mystery and whispers of destiny. I know you bear it, please keep it hidden, for not everyone is like me. The mark you have been burdened to take lies dormant. I can tell you are pure of heart, you can fight this curse that your predecessors failed at. Take hold of who you are, and you will not fail. I believe in you. Stay safe. -Phura of Faron_ ’

As he finished reading, he arrived home and was greeted by his siblings and aunts. It was overwhelming, with everyone trying to talk to him all at once. Once things were settled down, Maleeha took him into the dining hall.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” she asked while giving him a dish of steamed fruit and rice.

“Yes, I did.”

* * *

 

5 years later

Ganon found a shady place to eat his lunch in peace. His crew was in the middle of constructing an aqueduct for a new town being built. He was pleased with his position, he managed to build up his own contracting company in only a few short years. It was a decent life, though he had to admit it was a tad bit boring sometimes.  
On the horizon, he could see a crewmember, Mali, galloping on her horse towards him, waving her arms frantically. Fearing they were under a potential bandit attack, he got onto his horse and rode towards her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked when they were close enough to hear each other.

“There’s something you need to see.” they trotted down the limestone road and stopped when they reached what looked to be a person lying on the side of the street. As it turned out, that’s exactly what the case was. “I already checked her vitals, she’s passed on.” Ganon got off his horse to inspect a bit more closely. She was a light skinned Hylian in no way dressed appropriately for the climate, she likely died from heat stroke. Her poofy white clothes were adorned with golden triforce symbols and other small gems.

“She’s a runaway from New Hylia, there’s no one to return her to, so we’ll give her a burial.” Ganon stated as he carefully placed the lifeless body on his horse. For reasons still unknown, New Hylia shut its borders to emigrants a year ago, something that hadn’t been done since it was called Central Hyrule fifty years prior.

“How can you tell?” Mali asked.

“The way she’s dressed, it’s classic New Hylian attire.” it was a shame, if she had managed to walk a mere half mile more, she would have been found and rescued by his crew.

“There’s still more up ahead.” they walked until they reached a wagon on the side of the road. Two of the wheels were broken, some of the canvas that covered the top had signs of fire damage, and broken arrows littered the sides. The Hylian vai had been through many tough ordeals, only to meet her end by the noon desert sun. He unhitched the small gray horse and tied its bridle to his horse’s saddle.

“There’s a child.” Mali announced when she rummaged through the wreck in search of any clues. Ganon’s heart sank. It was bad enough he had to deal with one deceased person, he didn’t want to have to see one so young as well. “It’s alive!” Mali exited the wagon with a small yellow bundle in her arms, which she promptly handed over to Ganon. The bundle wriggled, so he carefully held it in place against his chest.

The child looked to be a few months old, though he wasn’t sure on that due to the fact Hylians aged the fastest out of all of Hyrule’s races. One of his aunt’s back home would be able to guess better than he could. Then there was the matter of what would become of the baby, it couldn’t be sent back to where it hailed from, especially without knowing the reason why the mother had fled. Centrailia City did have orphanages, but that wouldn’t feel right. Something about the child felt special, there was a feeling he couldn’t explain in words. There was no reason the child couldn’t be raised at the commune.

“That settles it, little one.” Ganon patted the child’s head.

“Uh, boss?” Mali asked with her head peeking out the wagon.

“Scavenge whatever you can from the wreck. I’m going straight to Lesinea with the child, and I’m putting you in charge of the site until I return.”

“I’m on it.”

Luckily his home was only a twenty minute ride away, still he wanted to hurry as fast as he could. He didn’t know how long the child had been alone and without food. He would do everything in his power to keep the little one safe.

* * *

 

                                                                             

Chapter 1: Verdict

  
“Hey, wake up.” Ganon rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn. “As cute as that is, you have some explaining to do.”

“M’tired, later.” he grumbled in response and nestled into his blanket.

“No, now.” Maleeha pulled off his sheet and yanked on a strand of his hair.

“Ow, fine, I’m awake.”

The situation was odd, he had to admit. He didn’t arrive until sunset and he hastily set the mother in one of the catacombs to deal with later. The iceboxes had been effectively raided of their milk supplies, and he had grabbed more bottles than he needed. Now he was sleeping on his living room floor surrounded by a dog pen he borrowed from the kennels with a small child resting on his stomach.

“Care to explain?”

“I’m a dad now.” he responded nonchalantly.

“You’re but a child yourself.”

“I manage my own company and I’m part of the council, I think I’ll be fine.”

“There’s a major difference between having a company and being on the council than having a baby. What were you thinking?”

“I couldn’t leave him in the desert.” he noticed the child was awake and squirming. “He’s hungry, can you grab that bottle for me.” Maleeha grabbed the milk, making sure it was at the proper temperature before handing it over.

“I didn’t mean you should have left him. There’s plenty of experienced mothers and fathers here you could give him to.”

“Finders keepers.” Maleeha rubbed her forehead and mumbled to herself, probably something to do with how much of an idiot her younger brother could be.

“You don’t ‘finders keepers’ a person, that’s kidnapping.”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t have parents.”

“My point still stands. Look, I can tell you have your mind set on this, but raising him won’t be like raising the orphaned kittens we found as kids.”

“I know.” he responded while readjusting himself to properly feed the baby.

“I’m not going to argue with you, just remember you’re not alone. I’m always next door.”

“Thanks.”

“Have you named him?.”

“Yes,” Ganon replied. The blanket the baby had been found in had a single name embroidered into it, he felt the least he could do was keep it rather than giving him a Gerudo name. “His name is Link.”

“I’ll be by later with lunch.” she gave him a smile before shutting the door. Ganon rocked Link in his arms when he finished feeding him.

“You’re so tiny.” he whispered as he ran his fingers through Link's hair. It was odd that a baby could have so much hair, then again there was always the possibility he was underestimating his age. He’d been around plenty of babies before, but Link was the smallest he’d ever seen. Admittedly, he was a tad nervous that he’d accidentally hurt his new son.

Before he forgot, he decided to take Link to the healer to make sure he was healthy. He’d been far too exhausted the night before to do it, he could only hope there was nothing wrong. He wrapped Link in a blanket to protect him from the sun, then he walked out to the main square to head towards the Norenia building.

The Lesinea commune was enormous, it was the third largest Gerudo city in the desert. The market place was in the center of it all, it was always teeming with life, even in the later hours of the night. Fifteen large housing buildings surrounded the market, a few of them were under construction for expansion. The Adinaya building was the oldest, it was covered with painted murals of long past battles and legends, along with being adorned with precious gems. The newer buildings opted for a simpler, yet pleasant design which involved triangles along the base. Norenia was a family nearly as old as his, they specialized in medicines and healing. Anyone in Hyrule who wanted doctoral training of any sort would go there for schooling.

As he walked to the building, a few people stopped to ask him what he was doing. He was still in his pajamas and his snarled hair hadn’t been pulled back for the day. Ganon waved to those who were concerned and assured them he was perfectly fine. He entered the building and knocked on his friend’s office door.

“Well, this is a surprise. How did you hurt yourself this time?” Nafoli, a close friend he had known since his early years, answered with a dramatic sigh.

“I’m not injured, I’m here for a checkup.”

“Really? Since when have you cared for your health?” she raised her eyebrow and ushered him inside. He never visited healers unless it was absolutely necessary.

“I’m not here for me.” he unraveled the blanket and revealed the child. Nafoli stared at them in surprise, clearly she was at a loss for words. “This is Link, I think he’s a few months old, I’m not sure though.”

“I don’t see you for two weeks and then you come back with a kid. I shouldn’t be shocked by anything you do anymore, honestly. So, spill the story”

“There isn’t much of a story, I found him in the desert near his dead mother. Please, can you make sure he’s healthy?”

“I’ll do my best.” she grabbed Link out of his hands and set him on the counter.

“Thank you,” Ganon clasped his hands together and bowed. Nafoli scoffed at his formality, but he truly was grateful. “I have a few errands I need to take care of, I’ll be back before noon.”

Ganon went back to his home and changed into some clothes that had been tossed on the couch. He didn’t feel like messing with his hair, so he put it into one sloppy braid and called that good. He rested his ruby and gold circlet on his head, it showed he was a member of the council and a part of the Adinaya family. Once his appearance was taken care of, he made his way to the catacombs.

Four others were already waiting for him there, he informed them of the situation when he dropped off the Hylian the night before. They had respectively covered her body with a white sheet and placed a simple bouquet of yellow flowers on her chest. Together, the five carried her to the graveyard which was on the far side of field they had their kennels and stables in. The Gerudo cremated their dead, so they had little use for a cemetery. Still, the council members of the past had set aside a small piece of land far away from the commune to bury outsiders if they died on their land.

Half of the markers had no names written upon them since their identities were never found out. A pendant or other personal item found on the body was placed in front of the grave stone, the hope being that someday a traveler would pass by and recognize it, not having to dwell over the fate of the person anymore. As far as Ganon knew, none of them had ever been claimed. The Hylian was carefully placed into the hole that had been dug up, and they recovered it with dirt in silence. When the task was finished, Ganon set a small stone on top. He had just enough room on it to carve in the words ‘Brave Mother’. He knelt down and placed the metal bracelet they’d found on her wrist in front of the marker.

“I will protect Link with my life, I promise.” he whispered, then he stood up to leave the sorrowful place. It was always strange being out here, even the air itself seemed to be still, he greatly preferred the bustle of the commune.

Back in the Norenia building, Nafoli was gently rocking Link in her arms.

“Welcome back, I believe this belongs to you.” she handed Link to Ganon and she looked closely at the notes she wrote down in her journal. She gestured for him to have a seat, so he plopped onto one of the wooden chairs. “Well, to start off, he’s not as young as you thought, I’d say he’s roughly a year and a half old. He has a few bumps and bruises, but they’re nothing to worry about. I must say, I’m impressed he’s not malnourished or dehydrated, especially without knowing how long he was alone in the desert. However, I did find something concerning. He has ear infections.”

“Ear infections? They’re not that hard to take care of.” Growing up he had his fair share of ear infections, but a few drops of medicine cleared them up right away.

“Normally, no, but he’s been inflicted with this for some time now. At his age, he should be able to say some words, but he can’t because he can’t hear properly.”

“So he’s deaf?” he questioned then made a mental note for later to see if anyone in Lesinea was familiar with raising deaf children, then he could ask for advice. Writing to Phura wasn’t a bad idea, either.

“For the most part, yes. He can hear some things, like a door slamming, I tried it earlier. Once the infection clears up his hearing may return, or it may remain the same, we’ll have to wait and see. Give him this medicine three times a day and come back in a week. Make sure to keep him out of the sun, his skin will burn up easily.” she handed him a small vial which he tucked carefully into his pocket.

“I can’t thank you enough.” he tried to hand her some rupees, but she refused and held up her hand.

“This one’s on me. You take good care of him, alright.”

“I will.” he affirmed then went back to the Adinaya building just in time for lunch. Maleeha pestered him a bit, but he was far too distracted to pay much attention to her. He found some paper and a pen and immediately began to write.

‘ _Phura-_

_I received your letter a month ago, I’m sorry I didn’t respond sooner, I’ve been under a lot of stress. I was appointed as part of the council shortly before your letter arrived. It was a surprise for me, I was sure they’d vote in one of my older siblings, I still question if the decision was wise. I don’t really want to be to be in charge of anything other than my company for reasons we’ve already discussed. I should have declined, but I wasn’t thinking clearly, Dad’s death was still fresh on my mind at the time._

_I hope you are doing well and that you can still find a way to work on your research. It’s strange that New Hylia is being strict with the border now, especially when we’re in a time of peace. Be sure to tell me if you’re given permission to visit the Odai Ruins, I’d love to accompany you, assuming you’re okay with a third person tagging along._  
_That brings me to my next point...I found a little Hylian voe in the desert. He is incredibly tiny, it’s hard to believe he’s almost two. As soon as I saw him, I felt an attachment towards him, it’s a feeling I can’t quite explain. Rather than sending him to an orphanage, I decided to adopt him and raise him myself. His name is Link. I helped raise plenty of my younger siblings, so I’m not too terribly worried about that. Link is deaf due to an illness, we’re not sure yet if it’s permanent or temporary. I want to play it safe though. If it’s not too much trouble, I was wondering if you could help me find books on learning sign language._

 _-Best regards, Ganon_ ’

He read it over to make sure he didn’t forget anything, then he slipped it in the post box. Once he was back in his room, he set Link in the playpen. At some point he’d have to invest in a bed for him. The office room would be perfect as a bedroom, it wasn’t like Ganon ever used it anyways.

Link was standing up and smacking the top bar of the pen, as he did so he also made a few sounds of disapproval.

“Hmm, you want up?” Ganon tried to remember what the sign for up was. He, like most of the Lesinea residents, knew only the basics of sign language. “Up.” he repeated and then pointed his finger towards the ceiling when Link looked at him. Ganon picked him up and patted his hair. “Down.” this time he pointed to the ground and set Link on the floor. Link wasn’t having any of that, he immediately ran to Ganon’s legs and raised his little hands as high as he could. “Up.” he repeated the cycle several times until Link threw a fit and stomped away. Ganon caught up to him in three strides and put him in the pen. He wrapped him up in the nest of blankets and tucked him in for the night. Rather than going to his bed, Ganon fell asleep on the couch accompanied only by Link’s light breathing.

Over the course of the next several days, Ganon followed a regimented morning routine; wake up, get dressed, change Link’s diaper, feed Link and himself, practice signing with Link, and eat lunch with Maleeha. On one of the days, he opened his door and was greeted with numerous bundles of books, a letter was attached to the top of one of the piles.

‘ _I’ve sent you all the books I could find, sign language for adults and children, I also sent some children’s books. I’m glad to hear you have a son, you’ll be a great father._  
_As for my research, I’m sorry to say that my request was denied. I may have to abandon my studies in New Hylia and stick with the Central Province, although I have thought of expanding my research to the Gerudo Province. I’ve heard tales of long lost ruins and statues being uncovered in the sands. It may be time for me to take a vacation and see what I can uncover. I could swing by Lesinea to see you and Link, there’s things I’d rather discuss with you in person._  
_-Your friend, Phura._ ’

Ganon looked again at the pile of books, he had no idea where he was going to put them all, so he pushed them into an unclaimed corner in the living room. He wondered how much the books had cost Phura, she really outdid herself. He’d only been expecting names of titles and maybe an actual book or two. Before he forgot, he quickly wrote a letter, mostly entailing how grateful he was and that he’d love for her to visit.

Link started clapping rather ferociously which brought Ganon out of his thoughts.

“What are you doing, little stinker?” he questioned out loud while approaching the pen. Link learned pretty fast that if he smacked something enough times, Ganon would give him attention; he still wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing yet. To his surprise, Link’s ear twitched and he turned around, a large smile was on his face.  
“Can you hear me?” Link tilted his head slightly and continued clapping excitedly. He lifted one of his chubby arms and he pointed up. Ganon could hardly contain his excitement, Link had signed his first word! He picked his son up and hugged him. “That’s right, up!” it was a shame there was no one else at the moment to celebrate the occasion with, but he didn’t want to overwhelm Link by introducing him to everyone all at once.

With the last of the medicine gone, it was time to take Link to Nafoli. The sun was only just beginning to rise, so there was no need to wrap Link up in a blanket. As he made his way through the market, he was given a few strange glances, but plenty of people greeted him as normal. He could agree with the fact it was strange to see someone as young as himself with an adopted Hylian child. Come to think of it, he couldn’t remember when the last time a Hylian visited the commune.

“Welcome back,” Nafoli said when Ganon entered her office, “how’s Link doing?”

“He’s great, I think he can hear some things better now. Oh, he signed his first word today!”

“Alright, bring him over.” Nafoli smiled upon seeing how happy Ganon looked. After his father passed away, he didn’t think he’d feel happiness for a long time. Finding Link and taking care of him seemed to fill a small bit of void in his heart.

“Ganondorf Adinaya,” a woman from the Zenali building interrupted them, “you’re needed right away with the council.” Ganon bristled, he disliked being called by his full name. He looked at Nafoli who gave him a reassuring nod, she would watch over Link for him in his absence. He made his way to the Zenali building, it was where all of the council meetings were held due to it’s massive reception room that doubled as a place to hold ceremonies or go to in the event of a hazardous storm.

Fifteen tables were organized in a tight circle with three chairs on the outside of each one. He found his two sisters and quickly sat next to them. He was not prepared for a meeting, he was still in his casual clothes and his hair was pulled into a loose topknot. Normally with these meetings, they were expected to wear their nicest clothes and fully decorate their hair. Thankfully nearly everyone else looked just as tired and sloppy as he did. Once all 45 members were accounted for, the meeting began.

“I’d like to thank you all for coming on short notice, there’s a few things we must discuss.” one of the council members from the Bentu house announced. She was one of the few who seemed to have found the time to dress up for the occasion. “As you all know, New Hylia hasn’t been allowing its citizens to leave. This hasn’t proven to be a problem for us as of yet, but we’ve been keeping an eye open on the situation. Trade profits went down slightly this year, but it’s nothing to worry over.” she sat down and her brother stood up to speak next.

“A report reached us this morning from Fort Lomei. The rulers of New Hylia have announced they are cutting off all trade routes to and from their domain. They’ve additionally demanded that any runaways should be returned to them. We will have to strengthen our relationship with Central and Ordon Province so that they and all of us can continue to prosper. We’ve sent out invitations to their leaders in the hopes of us becoming stronger allies.

Furthermore, there was an incident near a village a couple miles south of the New Hylia border. Five unarmed civilians were attacked by Hylian soldiers, one of them unfortunately succumbed to their wounds. It is still unknown what the motivation of the attack was, but we must prepare to aid Central and Ordon in the event of an invasion.”

The council members mumbled amongst themselves. Sure the Gerudo would not be in the direct line of fire in the event of war breaking out, but they would suffer from its impact. A council member from the Bo house stood, she looked unbelievably tired.

“What should we do with runaway Hylians? Do we treat them as enemies or as refugees?” a few sympathetic eyes glanced at Ganon, it seemed quite a few more people than he thought knew about his situation.

He heard a few different responses, some were to send the runaways back, others were to offer them asylum.

“If we were discovered to be harboring runaways, it could give New Hylia incentive to attack us directly.” one person countered.

“Lesinea was created to house refugees and to give those with no home a safe place to live. I don’t see why we shouldn’t help those who are in need.” Jia, one of Ganon’s sisters stepped in.

“That was a different time, things change. What have the Hylians done for us besides cause war? I say we turn them in for the reward.” another council member sitting at the table next to Ganon spoke up. He felt a bit nervous, this was only his third meeting, but Ganon eventually rose from his seat.

“The Hylians we encountered in the past were soldiers, of course they were hostile. Non-combatants bear us no ill will, they just want a safe place to stay. We should offer them refuge, we shouldn’t expect a reward in return.”

“Of course you’d say that, you decided to keep one of the little rats for yourself.” all eyes were on him and the council member, whose name he was sure was Gurio.

“Excuse me?” Ganon growled out and clenched his fists. He had yet to go through his last growth spurt, so he was still fairly small by Gerudo standards. Gurio towered over him and seemed to be amused by the display before him.

“How did a naive kid like you make it onto the council? Your father would have understood why we can’t have Hylians marching around here like they own the place.”

“Leave my father out of this!” it was still a sore subject for him. Sure, his dad had been a little rough around the edges, but he had a kind heart. Surely he wouldn’t have been opposed to letting refugees in. He grew more furious by the second, he wasn’t sure what Gurio had against him.

“All I’m saying is we need to get rid of this Hylian of yours before it becomes a liability.” size difference be damned, Ganon was ready to fight Gurio, he could take him.

“That’s enough.” Jia said as she harshly clamped onto Ganon’s arm before he could make a move. Gurio’s sisters were doing the same. The tension in the room felt thick enough to slice a sword through. “How about we have a vote, there’s no need for further arguments.” she suggested and most the the council agreed.

A bowl was passed around the tables and everyone wrote in their decisions. Jia and two siblings from the Lise house carefully separated the slips of paper. Everyone remained silent and waited for the final verdict.

“Should Lesinea accept Hylian refugees? There are twenty votes for no and twenty-five for yes. Then it’s settled, we will take in those seeking aid. I think we’ve all been here long enough for the day, we can go over the specifics of this ruling tomorrow.” everyone agreed with her and the meeting was adjourned. The members packed up their things and filed out of the room.

“Gan, I’d like to speak with you for a moment.” Jia’s facial expression was unreadable, as it usually was.

“I’m listening.” he was still on edge so he decided he should go on a run alone once he was dismissed.

“You’re not the youngest person who’s ever been voted onto the council, but your age still makes you a vulnerable target. You must not let your temper get the best of you, otherwise no one will grow to respect you.”

“I know.” he responded while retaining eye contact with her.

“You are still learning, so I do not blame you entirely for your behavior. Now I must ask you this; in the future, will you make decisions based on how it impacts you, or on how it impacts our home as a whole?”

Ganon didn’t know how to respond so he broke eye contact and looked at his feet. Jia eventually walked away, leaving him in his confusion alone. He didn’t know.

                                                                          


	2. Swimming and Stories

 

The full moon illuminated the vast desert, stars twinkled bright against the dark blue sky. A light breeze picked up loose sand and cast it away into lands unknown, swirling as it vanished into the night. Burrowing owls hooted at each other, they were hunting while being free from the oppression of the blistering sun. Scorpions ventured out of their confined holes, their barbed tails raised in warning when a potential predator came too near. The famous alqama cacti were in full bloom, they were well known for their beautiful luminescent flowers that only opened after dusk, because of that they were a common export from Lesinea. The Lizal River trickled calmly and the reeds along its bank swayed gently from side to side. It was a small stream that sprouted from a natural spring but its size grew immensely the farther west it went.

A trio of pronghorns drank from the river before bounding away. It was a peaceful scene. Ganon took Link to a secluded area near the river, it was nice to get away from other people on occasion. His family had been overbearing and nosey lately, that was one downfall of living communally. Most were ecstatic he decided to adopt a son, others were concerned with the situation due to his young age. Word had gotten around about what was said at the council meeting, a few of his peers speculated he’d only adopted Link to help him cope with his father’s death. While that wasn’t necessarily untrue, it wasn’t the sole reason.

The last remaining members of his biological family, Maleeha and Jia, started treating him differently since he brought Link home. Maleeha constantly coddled over them and she gladly watched over Link when Ganon had to return to the construction site for work. Jia became distant, hardly even acknowledging him when he passed by.  
Link slept in his arms peacefully, he was wrapped in used clothes. The temperature was lowering so he thought it best to go back home before the two of them froze. Over the past couple of months, Link’s condition improved and he was deemed illness free so he could interact with the other children. He would have minor hearing issues to deal with and it seemed he would not be able to communicate verbally, other than that he was healthy. He knew how to sign a few more words now besides up; down, yes, no, hungry, book, and please to name a few.

Ganon took his time walking home, hopefully most people were sleeping so he wouldn’t feel obligated to stop and chat. Little creatures scurried beneath his feet as he walked by. The buildings were surrounded by dimly lit torches and shrubs, each structure had their house gem displayed above the entryways. Once inside, he only had to pass the common area and climb one set of stairs before he reached his room.

Since bringing Link into his home, he reorganized practically everything he owned and ensured everything was child-safe. He built a large bookcase and placed it next to his couch, now he had a place to put all of the books Phura had sent him. He hung up various paintings his family made on the wall to liven the place up a bit. The dog pen he used as a makeshift bed was sent back to the kennels and Link now had a bed and room of his own.

Ganon tucked Link into his blankets and surrounded him with all sorts of stuffed animals. Link clung onto his yellow blanket and snored lightly. Once Link was situated, Ganon did the same and fell asleep.

The following morning he was woken up by the sunlight seeping through his window. He used to wake up at dawn, but now he found himself sleeping in until nearly noon. Until recently he had no idea how exhausting it could be to raise a kid. From the living room he could hear Link moving around. He quickly jumped out of bed and hoped Link wasn’t doing something dangerous or destructive. Link was stomping around with stuffed animals in his hands. When Link turned and saw Ganon in the doorway, he immediately ran up to him and attacked with his lizard toy.

“Oh no, I’ve been hit!” Ganon exclaimed and he brought himself to the floor. Link climbed on top of him and continued to attack with the plush lizard. This continued on for a couple more minutes until Link slid down and started signing ‘hungry please’. Ganon stood up and stretched, he was still tired. “Okay, let’s go get something to eat.” He picked up Link and carried him down to the dining hall. The smell of cooked sausages and fruits lingered in the air. Only ten people were in the room since it was late morning, so he took a seat near the counter. He dished enough food for him and Link to eat, it turned out Link preferred eating solids instead of milk.

“Hey, Gan.” he turned his head and saw Jia standing behind him with an uninterested expression. “Don’t forget you signed up for cooking duty tomorrow.”

“I haven’t forgotten.”

“I’m also here to tell you there will be a council meeting a week from now at noon.”

“Understood.” Jia nodded and started to walk away. “Wait!” she paused and looked at him with an annoyed glance. “Mal and I are both free tonight, I was wondering if you’d like to join us for dinner. You could get to know Link better, you’ve hardly seen him. You’re his blood aunt, after all.” she considered him for a moment and looked briefly at Link.

“He’s not my nephew.” she left the dining hall quickly, the rest of the people in the room whispered silently amongst themselves upon seeing the display. A little bit hurt and a little bit embarrassed, he picked up Link and the food and went back into his room so they could finish eating alone. He didn’t know why Jia was acting this way or what she had against him and Link.

In his frustration, he kicked a block that was lying on the center rug. It thumped harmlessly against the wall and rolled a few times. Link urgently signed to be put down and Ganon set him on the floor. Link rushed to grab the block and he ran to his room with it carefully held in his hands. With a sigh, Ganon set the food on the table and he went towards Link’s room. By the time he got to actually eat the food it would probably be cold. Link was sitting on his bed with the wooden block cradled in his arms, he pouted as hard as he could. Ganon sat down in front of Link and smiled.

“I’m sorry, I’m not mad at you.” Link shook his head and pointed to the block. Ganon grumbled to himself and stared at the block, nearly unable to believe he was about to apologize to an inanimate object. He put a fist on his chest and moved it in a wide circle. “I’m sorry I kicked you, block.” that seemed to satisfy Link. He placed the block on his pile of stuffed animals and scurried back into the living room.

Link started eating the simmered fruit while picking around the sausages.

“You need to share and eat some meat.” Ganon announced firmly. Link stopped eating and decided to hide under the low wooden table instead. “Fine, no more food until dinner then.” Ganon ate his share of food and he made sure to save a few sausage patties. After several minutes of peace and quiet, he felt a small tug on his foot. It was expected since this was a common ritual that happened rather frequently. He reached under the table and pulled Link out, then he set him near his side. Ganon could grab things off the table while sitting cross legged, whereas Link had to stand to reach anything. In due time Link would grow to properly sit at a table, but for now he’d either have to stand or sit on a few pillows.

Link gobbled up the meat and he wandered off to play with his toys. Ganon wanted to leave the building so he could get his mind off of what Jia had said to him. The market was a possibility, there was always some form of entertainment whether it be from travelling dancers, painters, or musicians. The library was always a nice silent place to go, but Link might get bored and cause a ruckus. He was still young and didn’t know proper behavior for different places and situations. Ganon remembered the first time he brought Link into the small library, the librarian joked that someone like Link was the perfect patron. Everyone in the library that day learned Link was gifted when it came to making a racket. Books and sitting pillows had been tossed around, a few pots tragically met their end. No, he wouldn’t go to the library again until Link was a bit older and when the librarian stopped glaring at him every time they passed each other in the market. It was for the best.

After some thought, Ganon settled on the idea of going to the Lizal River for a nice swim. It wasn’t too hot out now that the raining season was fast approaching.

“Link, do you want to swim?” he made sure to sign as he spoke. He wasn’t fluent by any means, but he was proud with how fast both he and his son were learning to sign. Link nodded his head and smiled. “Let’s get dressed then.” they changed into their swimming clothes which was essentially a pair of patternless silky shorts topped off with a towel wrapped around their shoulders. He held Link’s hand and guided him to the river.

In the distance, storm clouds churned and flashed with lightning. Spring was on its way, soon the crops would flourish and the animals would be giving birth to new life. It was a nice change of pace.

When the two arrived at the river, they were greeted by a few other families from different houses who had the same idea as him. He did see one of his sisters, Rhala, and he sat next to her. Ganon rested his feet in the cool water and watched Link splash around in the shallows.

“How’ve you been?” Rhala asked after she set down her drink.

“I’ve been good, I’m a bit tired though.”

“Yeah, kids will do that to you. Here.” she offered him a drink, which turned out to be a diluted palm rum. “You should bring your son out more often otherwise people will start to think you’re hiding him on purpose.”

“I do bring him out.”

“In the dead of night when everyone’s asleep.” she covered her face for a moment when Link splashed a bit close to them.

“It’s hot during the day, I don’t want him to burn up.”

“Bah, he’ll be fine.” Rhala splashed water at Link. He giggled and continued to romp in the river. “What I’m trying to get at is you shouldn’t worry about what anyone else says. He’s your son, you should be proud of him.”

“I am proud.” Ganon responded.

“Good. Ah, look, there’s my troublemaker.” a small girl who looked to be a bit older than Link ran towards them, she was carrying cattails in her hands. “Riku, say hello to Link.”  
Riku turned her head and saw Link playing in the river. She dropped her collection of plants and she shoved Link so he face planted into the water. She laughed and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

“Hey!” Rhala shouted as she stood up. “We’ve talked about this, get back here! Ugh, I don’t know where she gets this from.” she gave an apologetic smile before she chased after her daughter. As Ganon recalled, Rhala won second place in the Lesinea Wrestling Championship this year, but he decided against bringing that up.

Ganon pushed himself up and made sure Link was okay. As expected he cried and he put his hands in the air to be picked up. He lifted his son and rubbed his back in an effort to soothe him. Rhala came back while holding onto Riku’s hand.

“We don’t push people, what do you say?” Rhala asked her daughter once they were in front of Ganon and Link. Riku crossed her arms and stared at Link as he was set down in front of her.

“I’m sorry.” she said and then she handed Link one of her fallen cattails. Link grabbed it and signed ‘good’ at her. She likely didn’t understand sign language, but Rhala nodded and led her daughter back home, likely to give her a proper reprimanding.

Ganon offered his hand to Link and they walked home. Despite the minor harassment from one of his older sisters, Link seemed like he had a lot of fun swimming. He felt a bit ashamed that he’d been driven to the point of being too nervous to take his son around with him. It was ridiculous and it wasn’t a mistake he’d be making again. Link excitedly waved at his aunts as they passed by, most of them responded with a hello and a smile.

Once they were in their home, Ganon plopped himself on the couch while Link played with his toys. Later he’d bring Link to the dining hall again and the market too. But for now, he was exhausted, there’d be no harm in taking a well deserved nap. Without much thought, he closed his eyes and let sleep overcome him.

* * *

 

Black smoke filled the sky, it seemed to enshroud the world with dread. The hilly field he marched upon was unrecognizable, but there was a feeling of familiarity when he gazed upon the buildings in front of a massive castle. The massive fires were giving off a terrible odor, he feared for the worst. People hardly gave him a second glance as he passed by, they were either too busy weeping or arguing. No children played in the streets, there were no sounds of innocent laughter.

He was let in at the castle gates and he somberly made his way into the throne room. The royal family of old had vanished during the Calamity many years ago, the king sitting before him bore no similarities to the surviving portraits of the past rulers. The king was surrounded by dozens of ornately dressed guards, servants were frantically bustling around.

“What have you done?!” the sound of his own voice booming throughout the chamber startled him for a moment.

“We cannot have the chosen summoning the Calamity once again.” the king responded.

“I told you he simply must be located, I did not call for this massacre.”

“We took extra precautions to ensure the safety of our kingdom.”

“This is madness!” he blurted out and ignored the guards who held him back.

“Enough!” the king exclaimed and he held up one hand. “I have done all I can to protect my land. Guards, bring him out.” a small boy no older than ten was led towards him in chains. He was covered in filth, his clothes were in tatters and he had a scar on his arm that looked fresh. The child struggled with every step and he fought against the chains to no avail. The boy was set a few feet away from him, his face was full of defiance. “Well, is this the one?”

He looked at the boy before him, and while he looked fearless, his rapidly falling and rising chest spoke otherwise. On his hand was the unmistakable symbol he had been searching for. This was the child he sought. If he answered truthfully, surely the boy would be struck down with the crime of being born. If the boy was allowed to live, then his own curse would awaken and consume him along with the rest of the country. He closed his eyes, not sure what should be done next.

When he opened his eyes, Ganon was somewhere else; home. Link was frantically hopping on his chest and tugging at his beard. Ganon rubbed his eyes and yawned, it had only been a strange dream. He hugged his son to stop him from jumping on him.

‘Dad scared?’ Link signed when Ganon finally got up from the couch.

“I was having a bad dream, I’m not scared anymore.” the dream was odd, he felt like he was the man in the dream, but it wasn’t him. The boy had also looked familiar, but as far as he knew, he’d never met a Hylian child of that age. He’d certainly never seen a castle in his life either. Nothing about the dream made sense, perhaps he shouldn’t delve too deep into it. A knock on the door startled him out of his muddled thoughts. “Come in.”

Maleeha entered with her arms open in preparation to catch Link as he darted for her. She spun him around a few times before setting him down, he stumbled a bit in his dizzy state.

“You weren’t nearly this affectionate as a child.” she remarked as she made herself comfortable on the couch.

“That’s because you were always picking on me.” he’d been the youngest of three, often when his father had to leave, his older sisters would watch him and routinely cause trouble.

“Eh, it builds character. So, what have you been up to?”

“We went swimming earlier.” he contemplated on telling her about his dream, but that wasn’t important. “We also ran into Jia, she seemed upset, do you know what that’s about?”

“No, I haven’t see her in a couple weeks now.” she shook her head and started playing with Link on the floor. Ganon thought carefully how he should word the question that had been festering in his mind for some time now. There really wasn’t a nice way to phrase it, so he blurted it out.

“Does Jia hate Hylians?”

“What?” Maleeha gave him a confused stare.

“She hates Link, I don’t know why.” sure there was a valid reason for the general distrust of Hylians, they had caused his people many pains over the years. Link, however, was a toddler who did not yet even have the capacity to understand what war or prejudice was.

“I don’t think she hates him. If she did, then why would she have voted to let him live here?”

“That’s what I’d like to know, too.” his oldest sister’s motives were confusing to him.

“Don’t dwell on it too much. Link will have plenty of relatives to give him attention.”

“He gets enough attention from you.” Ganon joked heartlightedly. “Anymore and his ego will make his head bigger.”

“That way he can be more like his dad.” Maleeha responded with a sly grin.

“Hey!” Ganon exclaimed. Link stopped running around and attacked Mal with his favorite lizard plushie. “Good job, Link!” Link giggled and continued with his onslaught by jumping on his adversary.

“I forfeit!” Maleeha manage to say between laughs. Once Link calmed down, she placed him on her lap. “He’ll be a mighty warrior someday with that technique of his. Okay, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

“It’s about that time,” he agreed, “let’s get some grub then.” the three of them went to the dining hall together and ate to their hearts’ content. While Link was rather sociable and friendly, he did seem nervous in larger crowds. He stuck to Ganon’s side and occasionally held onto Maleeha’s hand when they were eating and when they visited the market.

They eventually went back to the Adinaya building and parted ways for the night. Ganon tucked Link in bed and he prepared to read the book Link had picked out for tonight’s bedtime story. The book had a beautiful orange and black cover, its title was ‘The Sun and the Moon’. The book had been given to him as a gift from his mother when he was five, it was something he cherished and kept safe in a chest in his bedroom.

With great care he flipped to the first page and admired the beautiful artwork. His mother reading this book to him was one of the few memories he had of her, and reading it now to Link almost felt bittersweet.

“The Sun Goddess was beautiful and loved by all. People and animals basked in her warmth, the plants grew tall in her light.” the art depicted her with dark freckled skin and black flowing hair that was reminiscent of the sun’s rays. “She danced and laughed with the people. They offered her many temples and prayers, though she refused them all.

Their happiness was all the reward she needed.

The Moon Goddess, however, was jealous of the Sun.” the art of her was a dark woman with vitiligo and silver hair. “She tried to sabotage the Sun by covering the earth with a dust cloud. Crops died and the people began to suffer. The wind spirits caught on to the act and blew the dust away. They informed the Sun of Moon’s mischievous actions. The Sun waved them off and told them she bore no ill will against the Moon.

The Sun shone upon the land once again and every living thing rejoiced. The Moon was angry that her plans were foiled. The people feared her as they feared the night. All she wanted was the same respect the Sun received. Plants did not bloom for her, people and animals hid in fear when it was her time to shine on the world. No one would love her.  
The Moon was lost in despair, she hid herself from the view of the world below. Surely now the people were happy now that she was gone from sight. For months she hid, her back turned on the world she was supposed to be watching over. One day she found herself blinded momentarily by a golden light. The Sun was standing in front of her with a bright smile.

‘Moon, why are you hiding yourself?’ Sun asked.

‘Because no one finds me beautiful.’ Moon said.

‘That is not true, I find you very beautiful. The truth is, I’ve always been jealous of you.’

‘What?’ Moon asked. Sun was jealous of her? That couldn’t be right.

‘People cannot look long at me without suffering. They can admire your beauty for as long as they’d like and not feel pain in their eyes. Come with me.’ Sun held out her hand and when Moon grabbed it, they descended to the earth. ‘The people told me you have not been seen in many months, they miss you dearly, as do I.’

The ocean next to them was motionless, boats were beached on the shore.

‘Without you, the tides stay still, the boats can’t leave. The people can’t use your light to travel the land at night when you are gone.’ Sun said and she led Moon to a forest. Gorgeous glowing flowers bloomed as Moon walked by. ‘These plants only open at night under your light. The people miss admiring them.’ Sun picked a flower and placed it in Moon’s hair. They returned to the sky and watched the stars twinkle in Moon’s domain.

‘The stars love you, the plants love you, the people and animals love you, and most of all,’ Sun drifted back into her domain as daytime was approaching the world, ‘I love you.’

Moon stayed still in her shock, the stars twinkled brightly behind her. She was loved. She went after Sun as fast as she could and embraced her when she caught up.

‘I love you, too.’ Moon said, her smile was just as bright as Sun’s. When they kissed, a shadow crept across the earth, but the people were not afraid for they knew it was the return of Moon.

Moon returned to her position and lit up the world more bright than before. The tides continued moving, her flowers bloomed in her light, and the people danced under her gaze. Now when it is a new moon or solar eclipse, the people do not despair, for they know the Sun and Moon are embracing and watching over them all.”

Ganon closed the book and sighed. Link’s eyes were closed and he was snoring lightly. He couldn’t count the times he’d fallen asleep when his mother read the story to him. Something about it felt serene.

“I love you.” he whispered to his sleeping son before going into his own bed.

* * *

 

Ganon feared only two things: Abnormally large centipedes and bony joints jabbing him in his personal areas. He was none too pleased when he was awoken by the second thing. He growled in pain and felt the offender crawling on his chest. The sky was dark, save for a few violent flashes of lightning. With each flash and deep rumble of thunder, Link shuddered and attempted to burrow under the blankets.

Ganon fumbled his arms around until he felt a candle and promptly lit it. Link was tightly wrapped around him, his little body was shaking.

“It’s alright, it’s only a thunderstorm.” it then dawned on him that Link had never experienced a storm before with his hearing. He could understand why his son was so frightened. “The storm won’t hurt us, it’ll help our food grow.” Link didn’t seem convinced, he kept his face hidden in the blankets. He was going to have to get used to thunder since it was now the rainy season. “Okay, I’ll tell you another story. Once upon a time there was a hero named Link.” Link peeked his head out of the covers upon hearing his name. Ganon was doing his best to improvise a story on the spot.

“Everyone loved Link, they saw him as a courageous warrior. One day, an evil beast trampled upon the land, destroying everything in sight. The princess told Link to slay the beast and he set off on his journey. In all truthfulness, he wasn’t as fearless as people made him out to be. There were lots of things that scared him, but he also didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

He traveled to the forest to seek advice from the Goddess of courage. Along the way he was faced with a massive dragon made of lightning, it created thunder as it flew through the forest valley. Link readied his sword, but the dragon was peaceful and did not attack him. He made it to the Goddess’ shrine and prayed for her to arrive. Her spirit appeared before him and she asked what it was he sought.

He told her of the evil beast that ravaged the land. He told her he needed to fight it so he could save the land and everything that lived in it. He also told her that he was afraid, she needed to grant him the courage to complete his task.

The Goddess simply smiled at him and told him he already had courage. It is okay to be both frightened and brave. She told him those who were the most courageous were the ones who were scared but fought for what was right despite their own fears.

Link went to the beast and challenged it. It roared and charged at a town. Link ran after it and cut it off so it could do no harm to the citizens. He was scared, but he also felt strong, he couldn’t let the monster destroy the land. With one fell swoop, he struck down the beast and destroyed it.

The people rejoiced and called him the fearless hero who saved them all. While he wasn’t fearless, he was courageous, and that’s all that mattered.”

Ganon looked at Link and saw he had fallen asleep again. He moved Link so he was laying against his side rather than on his chest, then he blew out the candle.

“Goodnight my little hero.”


	3. The Horse Teacher

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short and sweet chapter. I hope you're enjoying this story so far, I can't wait to write the more adventurous parts.

Chapter 3: The Horse Teacher

 

“Since the beginning of time, the desert has been considered a wasteland by those who ignore her beauty. Her golden seas of sand inflict fear into the weak of heart, she drowns those who pay her with disrespect. If you have the heart to love the desert, she will reward you with an oasis of food as far as the eye can see.

It is said that only our people, the Gerudo, are blessed by the spirits of the sands. Our skin is said to have been kissed by the Sun, while our hair has been touched by the spirit of Din. In the past, our people were faced with numerous threats; famine, disease, and war. Long ago our borders extended into the north, far beyond the reaches of the desert. Our ancestors were nomadic, living in the desert in the months of rain and migrating through northern Hyrule during drought. We were peaceful nomads, we only turned into fierce warriors when under attack from bandits and criminals. Gerudo voe were rarely born, they were concealed for their own safety so they wouldn’t become targets in enemy attacks.

Because of this, the Hylians spread the rumor that our people were made up of only women members. They did not think us fully human. The Hylians betrayed us and attacked on sight, we were no longer welcome beyond the sands. Our people suffered at first, that is until the tribes joined forces and built fortresses to live safely in. While creating the settlements, they found deposits filled salt and other precious minerals.

The Hylians found out about our newfound wealth and they declared war on us out of jealousy. For decades the wars raged, both sides had thousands of casualties. Hylians suffered greatly in the desert environment, one day their general wove a plain yellow flag in surrender. While they negotiated the terms of peace, a group of the enemy soldiers snuck into the shelter where our voe were watching over the children, they were swiftly slaughtered like barren goats. Our proud people were stricken with grief and we surrendered before any of our remaining children were taken from us.

We were called barbarians, and soon we resorted to thievery for our own survival. While the war was over, our ancestors suffered immensely. A hero arose one day, he vowed for justice and he bravely trekked through the hostile lands to speak to the Hylian king. His name has been lost to time, but we do know his desire for revenge corrupted him and instead he abandoned his people in favor of taking over the Hyrule throne.

In the end, we were saved by a young Hylian voe. However, he was not a Child of the Sand and he did not fully understand our plight. Over the years, the relationship between our races has improved, though we must remain alert. All of you in this room are Children of the Sand, and you will go through the same training as your ancestors. We will begin now.”

Link resisted the urge to yawn, most of his teacher’s speech had been lost on him. He glanced at his classmates, three of them being his sisters, he took comfort in the fact his peers seemed to be nearly as bored as he was. They were standing in the shade under an awning near the Chaz building, half of them still munching on their lunches. This was his second day of class, the first day had merely been for introductions. He was still unsure what he thought of the whole ordeal. When he signed to everyone that he was six years old, some of the kids stared at him longer than he would have liked.

He wanted to make his dad proud so he decided not to tell him he was a little bit scared. In addition to not being able to speak, he was also the only voe in his class. Luckily his sisters Faru and Nali were with him, but so was Riku, she liked to pick on him.

The group of twenty followed their teacher to the stables, Link made sure to stay next to Nali. She was older than him, but she was always nice to him and she was good at reading his signs. Riku skipped next to him and tugged on his ear, he swatted at her and she walked away while laughing. She had an annoying obsession with pulling on his ears, she was a real brat.

“Here we are, kids.” Yamuro, their teacher announced. She was super tall, even taller than his dad. Then again, Link thought everyone was tall. “Dinrae horses are bred only here in Lesinea, can anyone tell me something about them?” Link was feeling brave, so he raised his hand. Yamuro nodded her head at him and he signed ‘strong’. “That’s right, our horses can pull heavy loads with ease. Anyone else?”

“They’re really fast!”

“We sell them for a lot of money.”

More answers were blurted out, but Link was distracted. The field had a variety of animals grazing in it; goats, pigs, ibises, but most notably, horses. They were tall with white and cream colored coats, the foals looked funny as they galloped on their long legs.

“You’re all correct,” Yamuro clasped her hands together and motioned to the herd, “the Dinrae horses are renowned for their unwavering speed and strength, as well as their ability to survive a week in the desert without water. They are the tallest species in the world, perfect for carrying an adult Gerudo. We sell them mainly to Gerudo City for ceremonial purposes, although they are becoming more popular in the north.”

Yamuro stuck her fingers in her mouth and whistled. The horses pricked their ears forward and trotted to the edge of the iron fence. “Depending on how well you do with the horses in the coming weeks, some of you may be paired with a foal of my choosing. Now get on in there, don’t do anything stupid.” Link climbed the fence along with his sisters and other classmates, they all carefully approached the horses. A small pudgy gray mare trotted towards them and nibbled on their clothes

“That one there is a Korekshire,” Yamuro said from behind the fence, her arms were resting lazily on a post, “she’s a Hylian draft horse, she’s super friendly.”

Link petted the mare’s nose before she turned to get attention from the other children. The other horses joined in on the action and impatiently weaved through the commotion looking for treats and attention.

“Alright, now that you’ve introduced yourselves it’s time to see you ride them.” Yamuro announced with a grin. Link looked at his classmates with unease, they looked just as unsure about this as he did. His teacher hopped over the fence and led a white horse to the center of her students. “Ah, Link, thanks for volunteering!” he did no such thing. To his dismay he saw that all of his classmates stepped back so he was standing the closest to the teacher.

‘No thanks.’ he signed and attempted to retreat. Before he could escape, Yamuro lifted him up and placed him on the horse.

“I see you have your father’s sense of humor. Now then, all of you will start off bareback, having a saddle and bridle are privileges that are earned.” Link was squeezing the horse’s sides with his legs to keep himself from from slipping and he had a fistful of her silky mane in his hand to keep his balance. While being high off the ground was a little frightening, being on the horse was cool. He petted the horse while his teacher continued to speak. “By the end of the month, I suspect only half of you will remain under my training. Don’t take it personally, but the Mounted Guards must be picky with who they allow in their ranks. Link, try getting Luna to move for you.”

Link dug his heels into the horse’s side like he saw the adults do. As Luna walked forward, Link clung onto her mane and hoped he wouldn’t fall. Eventually the horse made a u-turn and stood in place in front of Yamuro. Once he was helped off, the rest of his classmates took turns trying to ride the horse. Some of them clung on Luna’s neck for dear life, others slid off, one of them even went as far as refusing to go near the horse. Riku accidentally kicked the horse’s rump and she fell off when Luna bolted.

‘You fell.’ he signed to her when he made sure she was okay.

“Thanks, genius, I don’t know what I’d do without you.” she replied and dusted the dirt off her pants. Link stuck his tongue out at her and ran away before she could retaliate.

“Okay children,” Yamuro yelled so the dispersed kids could hear her, “class is over for the day, so go on ahead and do whatever it is you do. Link, Nora, Taloo, please stay behind for a moment.” the three of them stood in place and watched their friends run back to the commune. “You kids did great today, here, give these to your parents. You are dismissed.” She handed each of them an envelope and she patted their heads as they grabbed them. Link clutched on the note and he sprinted home, excited to tell Dad about his day.    

* * *

 

“How are you feeling?” Dad asked when they were resting on the couch. Tonight's dinner had been small and he was still hungry, but Dad told him the rainy season was still two months away so everyone was hungry.

‘Good.’ Link signed, then he dropped his hands onto his lap. He pulled orange woven blanket over his shoulders and nestled against his dad’s warm side. He closed his eyes and wriggled until he felt Dad’s arm wrap around his shoulder.

“Do you want to hear a story?” Link nodded his head in response. Riku liked to make fun of him for still reading stories with his dad at night, but he didn’t really care what she thought. Story time was the best time. “This is a story passed down in the Adinaya family.” he took a sip of his drink before continuing.

“Long, long ago, long before the Calamity struck, the Gerudo people did not live together as we do now. We were split into multiple tribes and the different families didn’t get along very well. The Gerudo Fortress ruled over all the tribes, they gave provisions and aid to the families who could steal the most valuable things. Back then, Gerudo men were scarce, there was only one to a tribe.

“The male in each tribe was a powerful chief, they were in charge of stealing goods for their families. The Adinaya’s chief was young and small, every year they were unable to steal anything valuable. Their tribe was poor and starving.

“One day, the chief had enough. He marched into Hyrule with the intentions of kidnapping the princess. Valiantly he fought through the Hylian forces until he captured the princess. Upon returning home, he was seen as a hero, his family would no longer suffer. When the Hylian soldiers came through the desert to retrieve their stolen royalty, the chief fought them away.

“Once his family was given the food they earned, the chief made a deal with the princess. He agreed to send her home if a peace treaty between the Hylians and the Gerudo could be made. And so it was done. The desert became a province of Hyrule, the different races could trade freely.

“The chief did not stop there, however. He built more homes and invited the other Gerudo families in. Together they built a large city which would be known as Lesinea. He was not only a hero to the Adinaya family, he was also a hero to the Gerudo.” Link rested his head on his dad’s leg when he was done speaking, then he smiled to himself.

He wanted to be a hero, too.               

 


	4. Coming of Age

 

The market was busy as always, the sound of people bartering and shouting was nearly overwhelming. Pastries and other desserts were being sold at a nearby vendor, the smell was intoxicating. Once this meeting was over with he decided he would treat himself to one.

“Ganondorf Adinaya.” he turned and saw Yamuro bowing respectively at him with a bowl of food in her free hand. She was younger than him by only a year, they’d been in the same music and defense classes growing up. Technically they were equals seeing as teachers and council members held similar ranks, so there really wasn’t a reason for her to bow and call him by his full name. Then he remembered what day it was. “Happy birthday, geezer.”

“Thanks,” he grumbled in annoyance, “stop doing that, it’s weird.” Yamuro stopped bowing and gave him a playful slap on the back before sitting in the seat across him. She began to eat her curry in a fast manner, she was likely doing it to bug him.

“How’s it feel being an adult now?” she asked before shoveling another bite into her mouth.

“Tiring. I never would have thought by the time I turned into an adult I’d already have a six year old.” it was hard for him to believe it had already been four years since he found Link in the desert. He remembered how small and helpless his son had been, now he was playing and training like any kid his age should. He was also getting himself into more trouble, and Ganon figured that’s why Yamuro wanted to talk to him.

“Yeah, you two have really grown up. Look at you, you’re finally taller than me!”

“Only by an inch.” it was true he finally went through his last growth spurt, but he was still on the smaller side, at least compared to the other Gerudo men. “So, what has my son done now?” he was used to hearing it all by now. Link stole a sweet bun. Link broke my project. Link ran into me and thought it was funny. Link scaled a building and caused a mild panic. Your son takes after you too much.

“He’s not in trouble.” Sure, sure, Link was a bit rowdy, but he was a good kid. He could admit he was soft on Link when it came to punishments, but he was still a small child. His own father hadn’t been strict with his sisters and him growing up, they all turned out fine...mostly. “Gan, are you listening?”

“What?”

“I said Link’s not in trouble.”

“Really?” he asked rather surprised.

“Yes. I actually stopped by the archery class on my way here, your son was doing a decent job with the bow. I was impressed with how well he handled the horses yesterday, I think he should start training for the Mounted Guard, we could use more archers in our ranks.”

“Oh,” was all he could think for a response. Being in the Mounted Guard was a high honor, but it was also a lifetime commitment. If Link wanted to go through it, however, he wouldn’t be the one to stop him. “I’ll have to discuss it with him, when were you wanting to start training?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Alright, I’ll let you know when he decides.” The training would start off easy of course, a half hour to an hour after Link’s class of the day was finished. He’d learn the basics of horse riding until he was deemed ready to move on to the more complex parts of training, namely combat. Ganon wasn’t opposed to the idea, on the contrary he was incredibly proud that Link was being considered for the Guard. It was only another reminder that he and his son were growing up.

 They said their goodbyes and Ganon bought a pair of nut and cream filled cakes from the vendor his eyes had been set on since he arrived in the market. The price was higher than normal, but that was to be expected during the dry months. Once the rainy season hit, fresh foods would be sold everyday in abundance at ridiculously cheap prices. The nomadic Gerudo groups in the nearby area would travel to Lesinea and live there for a week during Din’s Festival. The festival was a weeklong event that was held during the third week of spring. Foods and drinks were exchanged freely, material goods were sold and traded at discounted prices.

The nomadic Gerudo lived different lives from their brethren in the communes and cities, but they were regarded as family nonetheless. They were more rugged and strict in their teachings, but they were kind people. When they arrived for the festivities, they always brought with them tales and goods from their various travels. When they left, occasionally one of their members would decide to stay behind, and sometimes someone from the commune would decide to travel with them.

Although the festivities were another two months away, some of the minor decorations were already shamelessly displayed. Decorative pottery and woven banners lined the edges of the buildings, the sandstone central road was scrubbed from grime. A decent supply of precious bolsa wood normally kept in the crypts was brought to the surface and placed on the foot of Mount Urbosa. Eventually the logs would be placed on top of the summit and a ceremonial fire would be lit on the last day of the festival.           

As he walked back home, someone bumped into his leg and nearly caused him to drop his pastries. When he turned he saw the culprit was one of his nieces, Riku. She shouted an apology as she continued to run through the busy market, it was made apparent she was being chased when Link zoomed after her. Link paused only for a moment to wave at his dad before he resumed the obviously important pursuit. Ganon pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand and let out a sigh. Those kids would be the death of him.

The Adinaya building had its ceremonial torch lit rather than the usual plain wooden one. It rested in place in front of the main entrance, the flicker of the flame sparkled beautifully against the gold and rubies. There were plenty of occasions when the torch was to be lit; festivals, funerals, births, the birthday of a ten year old, and the birthday of a twenty-five year old. He knew it was an odd concept to outsiders to have two coming of age birthdays, but it made sense to him perfectly fine. Ten years was an important milestone, by that time, the child knew the inner workings of how living amongst their people worked. That was they age they received their first circlet. Turning twenty-five was significant for similar reasons. By then the person was considered an adult who knew enough about Gerudo culture that they could teach children if the need were to arise. It was then they were given a circlet a rank above their previous one.

Being on the council, Ganon already was at the highest rank one could be. A silver headpiece would likely be gifted to him for semantics. When he entered the massive common area, he was greeted by the sights and sounds of his massive family wishing him a happy birthday. Since they were still in the dry months, the food on the center table wasn’t filled with diverse options, but he appreciated the love and thought that went into making the best of what they had. Once things settled down, everyone chatted within their groups and drank their wines.

One of his sisters who was a skilled and respected jeweler handed him a silver headpiece. It had a large ruby in the center with smaller ones dotting the sides. Even though she knew he wasn’t going to be able to wear it for social reasons, she still made it with care. Deciding it’d be okay for the occasion, Ganon took off his golden circlet and replaced it with the silver one. Drums started playing in the corner of the room, followed by the horns and flutes. He glanced at the musicians and immediately recognized them, they were all from his music class. They hadn’t played together since last year’s Din’s Festival, apparently they were overdue for a session.

A lone lute resting in front of the drummer had his name all over it, within minutes he was playing an upbeat tune with his old friends. His family and friends danced merrily in the room, their intoxication grew more apparent when they fumbled around and tripped over each other. He played the lute even after his fingers grew numb, the drummer had lost one of his sticks three songs ago. After a couple hours, they decided to call it a night. Half of his siblings were sleeping on the floor rugs, no doubt in the morning they’d be feeling sore and groggy.

To his surprise, Ganon saw Link and Riku carrying a long wrapped up bundle in their arms. He knew the two’s relationship was complex, they were constantly picking on the other, so it was strange to see them in close proximity while not acting like little hellions.

“The council asked us to give this to you.” Riku exclaimed as she and Link handed him the object. It was a little heavy and it was wrapped in a thin black cloth. He carefully slid the fabric off and revealed a brilliant sword. The hilt was made of white gold and rubies, the blade itself was curved and it had ancient Gerudo words for strength and protection inscribed along the sides. The scabbard was simple, it was made of brown goat leather and it had the golden insignia of the Gerudo embroidered in the center. It was an outstanding gift, one he felt undeserving of.

When he looked at his son’s and niece’s beaming faces, he suddenly realized the pastries he bought earlier were nowhere in sight. They were long gone by now, eaten by one of his drunken family members. Tomorrow he would buy them both a sweet, they deserved it.

“Look who’s not a baby anymore,” Maleeha said as she came down the stairs. She looked a bit tipsy, but she was sober enough that she could walk without falling flat on her face. “it’s not everyday your blood brother turns into an adult, you know. Come on, I have a present, she’s waiting in your room.” Mal’s words slurred slightly, Ganon found himself concerned. She’s waiting? That couldn’t be good.

“We’ve been over this, Link doesn’t need a blood sibling, he has plenty of siblings already. I-”

“Oh, you silly voe.” Ganon stared at her with a perplexed expression. The use of the words voe and vai were typically used to describe adolescents and non-Gerudo. Mal must have been a little more inebriated than he thought. “She’s a friend of yours.”

He looked at the children who were staring at him with sleepy eyes. Looking through the open doorway, he could see the ceremonial light was put out, which was usually done at around midnight. It was incredibly late and he knew they were going to be exhausted in their defense class the next morning. He slung the sword on his back and he gently took hold of the kids’ hands.

“Alright, it’s bedtime for you two.” they trekked up the stairs in relative silence, Mal leaned against his shoulder for support. It was rather common for children to sleep wherever they pleased in their family’s building. If someone was missing a child, they simply would check with their siblings to see if they happened to have an extra kid in their home. There had been a few occasions where Link fell asleep in one of his sister’s homes, but he was normally good at returning in the morning to check in. His son was a bit of a Dad’s boy, and he was perfectly fine with that.

When he opened his door, he was shocked by a familiar sight. Sitting on his couch and silently reading a book was none other than his old friend, Phura. They still wrote frequently, but they had not met in person since Link was a baby. She looked unchanged from the last time he saw her, save for a few more streaks of silver in her curly black hair. She was sipping her tea and she smiled at them when they entered the room.

“Happy birthday, dear.” she said after setting her book down on the table.

“Hello,” he responded rather dumbly, “this is quite a surprise.”

“It was your sister’s idea.” she nodded to Mal, who was now half asleep and mumbling something about goats stealing the booze. He patted her arm and made a mental reminder to thank her in the morning when she was sober.

“I’m happy to see you. I’m sorry, I really should make sure these three go to sleep before we catch up.”

“Take your time.” she replied then resumed reading her textbook. Ganon led his sister into his room and he gently placed her on the bed. Immediately she sprawled out and knocked all of the pillows in different directions. With a groan he picked up the pillows and set them in a neat pile next to the bed, then he placed his new sword up on a high shelf. His sister had always been a bit destructive and boisterous.

Riku and Link were sitting on the floor, both looked ready to fall asleep. With one large scoop he carried them to Link’s bed and tucked them under the blankets. To his annoyance they started squirming and fighting over the blanket.

“Hey now, none of that.” he reprimanded them in an authoritative, yet soft voice. His last growth spurt changed him in a few ways, he was no longer ‘lanky’ as his family liked to call him, he was as tall as any average Gerudo, and his voice was moderately deep. His voice no longer cracked when he spoke, so at least he couldn’t be made fun of anymore for doing any so called ‘squeaking’. “Do you want a story tonight?”

Link nodded his head while Riku pulled the blanket over their faces. “Bedtime stories are for dweebs.” her muffled voice came from under the blanket.

“Alright then, goodnight.” he stood up from his crouched position and nearly turned off the light, but he was interrupted by his niece's protest.

“Wait!” she pulled off the blanket and Link shoved her an inch away from himself. “Link can’t go to sleep without a story, he’s kinda a scaredy cat.” He smirked upon seeing the ordeal.

“Okay, one story, then you two need to sleep.” he grabbed a random book from the floor and he made himself comfortable next to the bed. The book had an intricate cover depicting a golden desert scene, the words ‘Patricia Runs Away’ were printed in simple dark blue letters. It was one of the books he was sent when he decided to adopt Link, the words were accompanied by the sign language equivalent. The first page had a colorful picture of a family of brown sand seals, except one of them was a gray color. Sand seals weren’t native to the Lesinea area since they were surrounded by scrublands and not the sand filled wastes the animals naturally lived in.

“Patricia was not feeling well one day,” he paused for a moment. Gerudo stories rarely started with ‘once upon a time’, they typically got right to the point. “Her fur didn’t match the sand like her family’s did. Her brother teased her because she couldn’t hide in the sand like everyone else could. She decided to leave home so she could find a seal that looked like her.

“She went to a jungle, she couldn’t see anything through the tall trees and thick plants. All she found there were pesky bugs that liked to bite and sting. No seal would ever want to live there.

“Next she went to the ocean, seagulls were the first thing she found. She swam and splashed in the ocean, dolphins decided to play with her. Eventually they swam away, but she couldn’t follow them into the deep water. The sun set and she was left all alone, there were no sand seals to be found here.

“Patricia went to the fields next, but all she found was a sea of wild grass. Horses surrounded her, but they ran when she tried to talk to them. Now she was starting to feel homesick, but she couldn’t stop her search until she found another seal.

“The next place she went to was a rocky mountain, the land was filled with boulders and stones. Ferocious bears and wolves lived on the mountains, they were not friendly at all. As soon as they saw her, they chased her away while showing her their sharp teeth. This was no place for a seal to live.

“The final place she went to was a tundra in the far north. It was filled with powdered snow and gray basking rocks. To her surprise, she saw something moving...another seal! Their fur matched the rocks, just like hers. This was where she was supposed to be.

“The seals let her live with them, they basked on the rocks together. They swam in the snow like her family swam in the sand. They gave her their fish to eat, she didn’t like it very much since she was used to eating fruit. The waters they swam in was too cold, she didn’t join them when they played. Everything was freezing, soon Patricia was no longer happy even though she found seals who looked like her.

“Even though her new friends looked like her, she knew it wasn’t where she belonged. She told her friends goodbye and she began her journey home. The desert was where her loving family was, and that’s where she truly belonged.” Ganon closed the book and set it down. Just as Gerudo tales did not start with ‘once upon a time’, they did not end with ‘happily ever after’.

He looked at the children who were now asleep. Riku was nestled against Link peacefully, apparently the only time they could get along was when the both of them were unconscious.

Link’s messy hair was splayed on the pillow, it was nearly shoulder length now. One of Ganon’s sisters once described Link’s hair as strawberry blond, he’d never heard of the color himself, but it was true his son’s hair had a slight orange tinge to it. His skin was heavily tanned due to being outside in the sun every day, though it wasn’t quite as dark as the natural brown as his siblings were. His eyes were green, not pale like the Gerudo, but marvelously dark and similar in color to the deeper parts of the river. It would be unsurprising if his biological grandfather or even father had been part Gerudo.

He wondered if Link recognized the fact he was a little different, he was a smart boy after all. Thankfully no one gave either of them grief for Link’s origins, it was widely accepted that while Link may not have Gerudo blood, he did have their spirit.           

With one last glance at the sleeping kids, he flicked off the light and quietly shut the door. Phura had a cup of tea waiting for him, he happily grabbed it and sat next to his friend.

“Finally an adult.” she remarked while holding her mug in her hands.

“Yeah,” he started loosening his hair from his mass array of braids, he might as well make himself comfortable. “When I told Link, he didn’t believe me. He informed me that I was a dad, all dads are adults.” Phura chuckled fondly at him.

“Be sure to cherish these moments, someday he won’t want bedtime stories anymore. There will be times when he gets himself into trouble and it makes you upset, but you must always remember to support him. You never know when a simple ‘i love you’ will be the last.” Where had that come from all of a sudden? As far as he knew, Phura didn’t have any children, she never mentioned any. Then again, there were plenty of secrets his friend decided to keep hidden.

“So, have you discovered anything exciting lately?” he asked to change the subject. Phura’s previously melancholy eyes now held a mischievous glint, a sly grin crept on her face.

“Of course, I’ve been waiting to tell you about it in person, I couldn’t risk the chance of one of my letters being read by the wrong eyes. You see last year I went on an expedition, all in the pursuit of knowledge mind you.”

“Where?” he asked after taking a sip of his steaming drink.

“New Hylia.” she seemed proud of herself, Ganon could only offer her a look of shock.

“How did you manage that?”

“Walls are useless when things like ladders and ropes exist.” she replied casually. He tried picturing the sight of a middle aged woman scaling a wall while avoiding guards and carrying around a decent amount of supplies.

“Did you make it to the castle?”

“No, it was too risky. I stayed on the outskirts and explored several ruins, some of them were built before the Calamity. There wasn’t much to be found, but I did bring back a few old journals for safekeeping.”

“How old does something have to be before it’s considered archeology and not robbery?”

“Eh…” she made a few other disgruntled noises and she raised her hands in a classic ‘i dunno’ gesture. “Enough about me for now, what about these dreams of yours?” Ganon sighed, he wasn’t the only one who liked to change the subject. It was true he was having more dreams of late, he decided to express his concerns to her in his last letter.

Usually the dreams involved three animals; a wolf, a raven, and a lion. In some of them, the lion guarded the other two as they fought against an army of formless monsters.

One had the raven attack and kill the wolf, the lion started transforming into a tusked boar and it too was struck down by the massive bird.

One had the lion already turned into a boar as it advanced towards the raven. Before it could strike, the wolf appeared and killed the beast before it could do more harm towards the bird.

One had the boar being pinned by the wolf, but before the beast was dispatched, the raven glowed and turned the pig back into a lion. After that, the three worked as one to destroy their amorphous enemies.

The boar tried to consume the world.

The boar tried to consume hope.

The boar tried to consume _him_.  

He didn’t know if the dreams meant anything at all, he could be paranoid, but they seemed far too important to deem as mere nightmares of a stressed mind. He could almost feel the lion’s pain when it was betrayed by one of its comrades, he could feel the full unadulterated rage it felt as despair filled its heart and began its transformation into a merciless beast. He could feel the hopelessness it felt when it failed to protect one of its companions from their attackers.

His friend offered him no insights to the phenomenon, even she did not know what the dreams were trying to convey. Now that he was an adult, he was expected to have answers for the childrens’ multitudes of questions. Bumps in the night were not spirits and monsters causing trouble, it was a person or pet walking clumsily. The rains did not come because of some goddesses will, they came because of the way the world spun. Wars were not fought based on good versus evil, they were fought for the expansion or protection of the homeland.

Why was it then that he could not hope to explain or comprehend what was happening to him? He could feel an unknown force resting within him, waiting to strike at the most opportune moment. It wanted revenge for heinous acts that were yet to pass. During times of stress, it threatened to awaken and cause havoc, it wanted to take over when he was at his weakest.

Yes, he was an adult now, but he did not have answers. The ravenous beast slept inside him, giving him no hints on how to purge the foul unwanted presence. He was expected to know these things, but this wasn’t a normal everyday occurrence. The idea of it absolutely frightened him. He was scared of what he might become, and what he might destroy. He imagined the life he knew and loved totally obliterated by his own hand, the thought made him ill. While he didn’t have answers, he for sure knew one thing...he would not allow the beast to revive.    


	5. Siblings

 

“Wake up, we’re gonna be late!” Link blinked his eyes open and managed to get a glimpse of Riku hurrying out of his room. That was right, class would be starting soon! He tossed off his blanket and quickly changed into some of his clean clothes. There wasn’t enough time to put his hair into braids, so he pulled it back into a simple ponytail. He wasn’t very good at making his hair look nice like Dad could, but it would have to do for today.

He scampered out of his room and quietly made his way to the main door. His dad was sleeping on a rug next to their table, he was clinging onto Link’s favorite plush toy and he was drooling all over it. Gross. In the gathering room on the bottom floor, a lot of his aunts were either sleeping or groggily holding their heads. He waved to the ones who were awake and he continued on his way. Riku was far ahead and it frustrated him that she wouldn’t wait for him to catch up.

When he finally arrived at the arena, he was out of breath. The arena was to the north of the commune, so it was a far run from his home building. The place was used for all sorts of things, like horse races, tournaments, ceremonies, and training classes. Yesterday he’d been there for archery, which was something he found he enjoyed quite a bit. He didn’t hit most of the targets, but his teacher informed him he did amazing for his first time trying.

He quickly squeezed through his crowded classmates and he sheepishly looked at his feet when the defense teacher gave him an accusatory glare for being late. It wasn’t his fault, Dad usually woke him up and took him down to get breakfast long before training began. He signed sorry and smiled at his teacher, doing that usually got him out of trouble. She glanced at him and scoffed, her expression remained neutral.

“Riku, Link, you two will be staying after class for being tardy, don’t let it happen again.” she stated with a hint of anger on her tongue. Her golden headpiece had garnets on it, meaning she was from the Grenat family which also happened to be the name she had her students call her by rather than first name like the other instructors. Her hair was sheared short, so she didn’t have to worry about putting it into fancy braids. A cloth belt around her waist held a variety of swords and daggers, a large round shield was carefully attached to a belt on her back. Scars of different sizes littered her exposed skin, Link wondered how she received them since they were living in a time of peace.

“Yes, teacher.” Riku responded with a little bow of her head. Link decided to follow suit and he bowed as well.

“Since we were interrupted, I will start over. This class, unlike some of the others you are taking, is mandatory. You will learn how to fight and defend yourselves, how well you do will determine when you are moved into the next tier of training. I will hear no complaints and I expect all of you to be on time.” she shot a look at Link and Riku, he cringed inwardly when they made brief eye contact.

“If there’s no war then why do we have to do this?” one of his older classmates piped up. Link was thinking the same, though he dared not to ask the question himself in fear of the teacher’s wrath.

“Bandits and others who wish us harm still roam these lands. You all may be young, but I won’t treat you like ignorant babies. Trouble is brewing in the north, we must be prepared for anything that comes our way. Enough chit chat, grab a sword and shield.” All of them scattered and grabbed a wooden weapon and shield. The sword looked like a smaller and less deadly version of the one he and Riku helped give to his dad. He waved it experimentally and watched as his classmates did the same. The teacher went down the line of children, correcting their stances and holding techniques as she went along.

“Don’t be so stiff, bend your knees and elbows.” she instructed Link when she reached him. He obeyed and loosened his stance, the sword in his hand felt lighter and easier to wield. A hint of a smile seemed to creep on his teacher’s face, for a moment he thought he’d get a compliment from her, but instead she swung her wooden sword and knocked the shield out of his hand. He inaudibly yelped as the point of the sword hovered mere inches away from his nose. “Dead. Like I told you earlier, you need to prepare for the unexpected.” she withdrew and continued her inspection with the rest of the students. Link could still feel his heart racing, one of his classmates snickered when he stepped out of line to retrieve his dropped shield.

Grenat stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes at the child who had giggled. When the teacher approached, his classmate tensed and clung onto her shield like her life depended on it.

“Why are you laughing?” she questioned, her demeanor made it apparent she was disappointed.

“I...u-uh-” his classmate stammered and she fidgeted with her sword.

“Link is your comrade, would you laugh if he was harmed in a real battle? Would you laugh while you told his loved ones why he wasn’t returning home?”

“N-no.” the answer came out as a squeak. Grenat looked at Link for a moment, she looked like she was sizing him up. She rummage through her bin of supplies and returned with a small bag of weights, which she attached to her student’s belt.

“Run three laps around the arena, if you drop any of the weights you have to start over. Go.” the student nodded and began to jog silently around the area. Everyone else remained quiet, they didn’t even dare to reveal a grin or smirk. “Pair up and try to disarm your partner, I’ll be watching.”

Link faced his partner and watched her as she stalked towards him like she was a cat and he was a mouse. She, like everyone else around his age, was taller than he was. He used the shield to block his chest and neck, he cautiously peered over it and kept a close eye on his opponent. She swung her sword repeatedly, with each hit Link took a step backwards.

“The best defense is a good offense!” Grenat shouted amongst the noise of her students’ clattering and fighting. Link didn’t think it was necessarily aimed at him, but he heeded the advice and struck back. His classmate was momentarily surprised and he managed to counter a few of her sword strikes. He thought he was doing a good job, but then his opponent made a wide swipe and struck his sword hand. Immediately he dropped his sword and shield so he could hold his throbbing wrist. She rested the edge of her sword on his chest and offered him an apologetic smile.

“Dead.” she lowered her sword and frowned. Link closed his eyes tight in an attempt to stop them from watering, he didn’t want his peers to think he was a crybaby. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hit you that hard.” he nodded his head, he wasn’t mad at her, but his wrist still hurt.

“What’s going on here?” Grenat asked firmly. Link opened his eyes to look at her, to his disappointment tears started rolling down his cheeks and he did his best to wipe them away on his shoulder.

“I accidentally hurt Link.”

“Let me see.” Link hesitantly offered her his hand and she gently turned it from side to side. “It’ll be fine, go sit down with the others.” he did as he was told and he sat down next to his classmates who had been disarmed. Those who remained were paired with each other and they repeated the process until only two remained, one of them being his sister Riku. She fought ferociously and with poise, it was clear she was a natural. Riku feinted a stab and she disarmed her opponent with a quick upward slash, Link didn’t notice until then his sister was fighting without a shield.

Once their exercise was over with, Grenat began showing them more stances and she had them practice holding their swords again. Link’s stomach rumbled, this was far more exhausting than archery and horseback riding, he hoped they’d be able to eat soon.

“That’s enough for today.” their teacher announced. “Next time we meet I will be pairing each of you with one of your upperclassmen, be prepared for that. Keep practicing your stances and be sure to arrive on time.” his classmates gathered their belongings and they hightailed out of the arena, excited to finally be free from the strict teacher. Link and Riku stayed behind, both knew they’d get into more trouble if they attempted to flee. They solemnly stood in front of the teacher with their heads hung low, what sort of punishment did she have planned for them?

“Riku, I was thoroughly impressed with you today, you have the potential for being a skilled warrior.” his sister beamed at the compliment, he knew he wouldn’t be getting one due to how poor he was at fighting. “That doesn’t excuse the fact you were late. Start doing laps, both of you.”

“When do you want us to stop?”

“When I tell you to.”

Link pulled on Riku’s hand before she could start badmouthing or protesting. They jogged around the arena, thankfully it wasn’t too hot yet. A class of older kids were setting up their archery equipment in the shady part of the place. They held their bows with confidence and expertise, when they loosed their arrows they were able to hit the circles painted onto the targets. Link wanted to be able to do that, something about holding a bow felt natural to him and archery was more fun than getting whacked with wooden swords.

As the pair ran by the students, they were met with whoops and hollers about not pissing off the mighty granite, whatever that was supposed to mean. Link blushed upon hearing the words, that was naughty language and he wasn’t supposed to use it, not that he could anyway since he didn’t know the sign equivalent. In the group he saw a familiar face, it was his older brother Vhoss. Link didn’t know him very well, they were ten years apart so they didn’t interact much unless they were eating in the dining hall together. Before Link was born, Vhoss had been the youngest boy in the Adinaya building.

Link and Riku waved at their brother and they continued with their laps. Grenat was sitting under a shaded awning, she was drinking the juice out of a palm fruit while reading a book, it was probably filled with instructions on how to be the world’s meanest teacher. Link furrowed his brows and looked straight ahead, he forgot how many laps they had done, but it wasn’t any more than ten.

When they passed by their teacher again, Link noticed Riku wasn’t near him anymore. She started dragging behind after the third lap, so he slowed himself down so the could be relatively near each other.

“I didn’t tell you to stop.” he heard Grenat yelling. Link looked behind him and saw Riku leaning against a fence post, she wiped away the sweat on her forehead as she slumped to the ground. Link stopped in his tracks and he rushed to his sister’s side. “I didn’t tell you to stop either, Link.” in that moment he wished he knew how to sign a bad word, instead he scowled at his mean teacher.

‘Are you good?’ he signed to Riku, his wrist didn’t hurt that much anymore so he could sign with relative ease.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m just tired, you don’t have to wait for me.” he shook his head and he pulled on his sister’s arms. She stood and leaned against him, he carefully led her along the intended path. He hardly made it ten steps when Grenat shouted at him to stop.

“That’s enough, come here.” Link obeyed and led Riku to the shade. Grenat offered them each a palm fruit, both greedily began to drain the fruit of its sweet juice. “Don’t be late to my class again, you’re free to go.” before he could escape with his sister, his teacher put a firm hand on his shoulder. “Strength is not only physical, it is mental as well. Now scat.” she released her grip and Link dashed to Riku before the teacher decided she wasn’t done messing with them. He was confused, when the teacher had stopped him she smiled, what made it weirder was that she was smiling at him specifically. He didn’t think his teacher was capable of genuinely smiling.

Riku still seemed to be tired so Link let her lean on his arm, they both eagerly made their way to Adinaya’s dining hall. They each grabbed a small helping of rice and they eagerly gobbled up their small meal. Thankfully the rainy season was not far away, reports of thunderstorms in the west were a common topic of discussion with the adults. That meant the travelling Gerudo tribes would be visiting soon and there would be plenty of food to go around. What made that time of year even better was that’s when his birthday was, the day after the summer solstice was the day he would turn seven.

“Follow me.” Riku said suddenly when they were finished with their food. Link followed her without hesitation even though most of the time she was leading him into some sort of trouble. Still she was his older sister and he was supposed to trust people who were older than him. They made their way into the Zenali building and they sat behind the massive velvet curtains on the stage. Tables were arranged in a circle which meant the council would hold a meeting soon, but he knew Riku hadn’t any interest in that. It was no secret his sister had a love for music, they were here to listen to the older kids practice their instruments.

‘Horn?’ he signed to Riku, he was pretty sure that was the instrument she wanted to play. A nod was all he got for an answer, they watched the kids put together their instruments in respectful silence. For some reason Riku seemed to not be annoyed with his presence when he accompanied her to listen to musicians, although he figured it was because he knew she hated being alone and he was the only one who joined her in this particular activity. Tomorrow they’d be in their first music class, even though it was one of the mandatory ones, Link was looking forward to it. He had his eyes set on the big horn, the name of which he couldn’t remember, but it sounded amazing when paired with the smaller horns.

The kids started their session, Link closed his eyes and made himself comfortable listening to the soothing music. He was still sore from the day’s events and before he knew it he fell asleep with his head leaning on his sister’s shoulder.

He was shaken awake by a rather distraught looking Riku. The sleeve of her shirt had a wet spot on it, he instinctively knew that it had to be his drool from using her like a pillow. Link yawned and swatted at his sister, he didn’t know why she always had to be pestering him.

“Come on,” she hissed just loud enough for him to hear, “we can’t be here.” That’s when it dawned on him the music was no longer playing, all he heard were some adults talking. Of course, the council was supposed to meet that night. If they were discovered, they both likely would be grounded. Link followed Riku through the maze of beams under the stage and they quietly exited through an escape door and they hurried out of the building. Thankfully no one spotted them or questioned their motives when they made their way back home.

They ate their supper peacefully in the dining hall, it was a small portion of food since lunch was supposed to be the biggest meal of the day. He wondered what would happen if the rains didn’t come, he didn’t know if that was even a possibility. Some of his aunts told him that a long time ago their people didn’t have to worry about hunger or drought, they simply followed the rain. It must have been nice to not have to think about going hungry, but that was simply the way things were now.

While he was lost in his own thoughts, he could feel someone staring at him. He turned his head cautiously and saw one of his aunts glaring at him, he didn’t remember her name but he knew she was his blood aunt. She turned away and continued talking with her group, occasionally she would glance his way with a frown. Link didn’t know her well, but he did know she was on the council with Dad, so if she was here that meant the meeting was over.

Link shoveled the rest of the food in his mouth and he raced upstairs into his home. He made sure to close the door softly so he wouldn’t have to have another talk about being gentle and calm with things. Dad was facing away from the door and talking to his friend Phura. She seemed nice and she had pointed ears like his own, but she was going to be leaving soon.

“With New Hylia annexing Faron, I’m worried.” his dad said in a quiet voice. Link paused, he was ready to run and hug Dad’s leg but he didn’t want to interrupt an adult conversation. He didn’t know what ‘faron’ or ‘annex’ meant, he scrunched his nose in frustration.

“I’m sure that mess won’t reach this far.”

Dad grumbled something too quiet for him to hear, then he turned and realized there were three people in the room. He smiled then dropped to his knees with his arms open wide. Link let himself be wrapped in his dad’s arms and he returned the hug the best he could. Link learned long ago that if his dad was grumpy or sad he could simply give him a hug to make him feel better.

“How was your first day of defense?” Link cringed and signed bad once he was freed from his dad’s embrace. He wished he didn’t have to go to that class with the crazy teacher but he knew he was going to have to suck it up. Dad laughed and tousled his hair. “Grenat isn’t that scary when you get to know her, just pay attention to her alright?” Link nodded his head and endured through another one of his dad’s hair ruffles. At this rate his hair would be too snarled in the morning to properly comb through.

“Oh, I nearly forgot. Your horse riding instructor wants to give you additional lessons, is that something you’d like to do?” Link nodded eagerly and signed yes a few times, he loved riding the horses and it was something he wanted to do more of. Dad gave him a proud smile and he stood back up and towered over him. “Okay, after your class tomorrow make sure to go to the stable. Now off you go, bedtime.”

‘Love you.’ Link signed.

“Love you too.” Link slowly walked to his room, he noticed Dad started frowning again. He crawled into his bed and wrapped himself in a few blankets. For a while he stared at the wall, unable to fall asleep. Was something wrong? Lately many of the adults and older kids were acting odd, maybe it had something to do with the trouble in the north his teacher mentioned earlier. He didn’t know what kind of trouble it was, but if it was making everyone so nervous then it couldn’t be any good. Link eventually closed his eyes and was able to fall asleep.

The following morning he was unceremoniously awoken with his comfortable blankets torn off. He frowned and burrowed his face further into his pillow, his hand blindly moved about in a desperate search for any of his covers. Next his pillow was tugged at, he retaliated by throwing one of his many stuffed animals at the offender.

“Link, get up you lazy dweeb!” Link huffed and managed to make a noise that he hoped made it obvious he was annoyed. “You said you’d go running with me.” He shook his head and swatted Riku’s arm away, he promised no such thing. “Fine, that was a lie. I don’t care, get up!” she tugged his pillow again and he rolled his eyes, why couldn’t she go and bother someone else.

‘What?’ he signed when she managed to wrench his soft pillow away from him.

“I need to run more so I don’t tire out as fast, you need to run cause you’re scrawny. So let’s go together.” Link thudded his face against the mattress a few times before he finally slid out of bed. His sister at least gave him a bit of privacy so he could go to the bathroom and change into his day clothes. When he tried to brush his hair he found the snarls hurt too much so he threw his hair into a messy ponytail and hoped no one would notice.

“Your hair looks awful.” his sister so kindly supplemented, he stuck his tongue at her in response. They nabbed some fried eggs for breakfast and they jogged to the arena. The sun still had yet to rise, the sky in the east was smeared with streams of yellow as night came to an end. A single star could be seen in the brightening sky, it was known simply as the Morning Star since it could only be seen just before the sun rose. Link yawned and admired the scenery, he was rarely awake before or even at dawn.

The siblings jogged around the arena in silence, the cool breeze from the west felt refreshing on their faces. As the sky lightened into a light blue color, thick dark clouds could be seen in the near distance, the rains would be upon them sooner than anticipated. More residents had the same idea as the children and they ran laps around the arena while the weather was still tolerable. Someone’s dog ran next to them and tried to play, both of them petted the dog before it eventually ran back to its owner.

Riku slowed down after the third lap, so Link suggested they walk instead. For once his sister agreed with him and they continued going around the arena at a calm pace.

“Grenat wants me to train with her older students in addition to my current training, she told my mom I’m talented, but I dunno…” Riku trailed off and covered her eyes when the sun graced the sands with its presence. The light reflecting off the sands was blinding, Link pulled his hood over his eyes and was glad he decided to wear it today.

‘You’re very good.’ Link signed, Riku was one of the best fighters he’d ever seen.

“Thanks.” she smiled and the two decided to pick up their jogging pace again. Even though it was early and he was still tired, Link was glad he agreed to join his sister. She was in an unusually kind mood, she didn’t make fun of him even once since they started their laps. She seemed to have something else on her mind, but Link didn’t want to pry.

A drop of water plopped on Link’s nose, making him forget about his sister’s odd behavior. He took off his hood and another drop hit him just above his eyebrow. Thunder rumbled in the sky and he reveled in it. Apparently when he was a baby he was scared of storms, but he was pretty sure his dad was making that up to tease him. A flash of lightning streaked across the gray sky, the land was encompassed in shadows when the storm covered up the sun. The rain started pelting the dry earth, Riku and Link excitedly chased each other and stomped in the small puddles that began to form. The older kids and adults who were there joined in the excitement and cheered along with them. With open arms Link proudly faced the clouds and let the rain fall on his face, the occasional boom of thunder only comforted him more.

The season of rain had come early, it was a sign that many more good things were to come.          

    


	6. Celebrations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one was short and took so long.

 

Ganon watched with mild interest as his son and nieces romped around in the brown puddles. For the past two months their land was blessed with heavy rainfall that only recently showed signs of easing down. Fruit bearing plants that only showed themselves during the rains grew along the edges of puddles, buildings, and roads. Here there was no concept of a plant being a weed, everyone took care around the sprouts and did their best to not accidentally uproot or trample them. The Lizal River was flooded due to the heavy rainfall, grass and flowers grew freely along the flourishing banks. The travelling Gerudo families were camped out on the arena grounds in preparation for the week’s festivities, already they were trading goods and stories.

The nomads gifted ten cows to Lesinea, it was an offer of the highest respects. Cattle products were a rare commodity in the desert since the animals were costly to take care of year round. One could argue that horses were the same way, but his people had valued horses higher than cows for centuries due to them being a vital aid for warriors. Towards the end of the festival the cows would be butchered and everyone would have a chance to eat the uncommon meat. The hides would be turned into leather to make shoes and drum heads, the bones would be used to make weapons and trinkets. No parts of the beasts would go to waste.

He was glad Din’s Festival was finally happening, it would take his mind off of pressing issues for at least a little bit. Faron Province had been their ally for years, it had also been a convenient barrier from the desert and New Hylia. Now that it was annexed into the hostile country, New Hylia shared a border with the Gerudo Desert. Reports of rebellious groups were already being discussed at the council meetings, volunteer Gerudo warriors were moving into the Lomei Fortress in preparation for any attacks. It was the closest settlement to the border and it was his people’s first line of defense.

A Hylian spy had been found in the Diranes Commune, which was fifty miles southwest from Lesinea. It was still unknown how he managed to traverse through the desert undetected and unharmed, but it was clear more safety measures would have to be put in place. A logbook had been found with the spy, in it was written a rough estimate of the commune’s population, what time of day guards patrolled the perimeter, as well as all of the names of the members on the council. He’d been caught when he was seen attempting to poison the animals’ water supply. Needless to say everyone in Lesinea was on high alert.

The Mounted Guard volunteered to cover extra shifts, teens who still had yet to finish their combat training offered to patrol the times and places that had gaps. At the last council meeting a few tough decisions had been made. They would no longer allow Hylian refugees onto their land, it was too much of a risk in case they turned out to be a spy with intentions of causing them harm. Ganon didn’t agree with the ruling, but with the council being on edge the majority of the votes were against Hylians being anywhere near them. Even though there had not been any official declarations of war they still had to prepare themselves for the worst.

“Oops, I’m sorry.” one of the nomadic women said when she bumped his arm and spilled a bit of her drink on their feet. Ganon knew it was no accident, this was something he had to deal with since his late teen years. It was no secret that Din’s Festival had another importance namely to the nomadic groups, to put it bluntly it was the best time of year they were able pair up with an unrelated Gerudo male.

“I’m not interested.” he said politely and he refocused his attention to the playing children.

“Can’t blame a gal for trying, eh?”

“I suppose not.” Somewhere nearby one of the bands started playing an upbeat tune, the festivities were now beginning. People danced in the market with scarves, rum, and fried sweets in their hands. Link managed to nab one of his aunt’s streamers and he ran around with it while his sisters decided to join in the fun. Ganon offered an apologetic shoulder shrug to his sister and he let out a hearty laugh when her own daughter grabbed her remaining scarf. Children would be children.

“Are any of them yours?”

“Yes, the little one with the purple scarf.” Ganon responded while taking a bite of his veal skewer. It was glazed with a zesty voltfruit and turmeric marinade, overall it was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. He gladly helped himself to a few more skewers while washing them down with a mild fermented palm juice drink. This time of the year had always been his favorite mostly because of the abundance and variety of food choices.

“Well he’s certainly a charmer.” Ganon looked at Link to see what the woman meant by that. His cheeks had mud smeared on them, his hair was halfway out of his ponytail, and his shirt was now on backwards. He didn’t know how Link was able to get himself into trouble in such a short amount of time, clearly it was one of his many talents.

“That he is.” Ganon quickly finished the rest of his food and walked towards the playing children. “Link!” his shout startled a few surrounding newcomers, it wasn’t his fault his voice was naturally loud. Link spun around and displayed his messy hands.

‘What?’ Link smiled innocently as he signed, his slightly turned head completed the cute look he was aiming for. Since he couldn’t communicate verbally he mastered the art of using body language and facial expressions to his advantage, truly he was a cunning child. As his father, Ganon knew what his son was up to, as well as his little tricks. He wasn’t so easily fooled, at least not most of the time.

“You know what. Come here.” he said in a firm, yet calm tone. Link dropped the act and let out a loud huff of air through his nose. Ganon sat cross-legged on a green and brown rug shaded by one of the many awnings, an ‘oof’ escaped from him when Link plopped himself onto his lap. He used a damp scarf to wipe the caked mud off of his son’s face and hands, he set it aside once that task was over with. Next was the matter of Link’s perpetually tangled hair. He worked through the snarls the best he could with his fingers and worked the hair into several small braids before tying it into a high ponytail.

“Do you want a haircut this year?” Link shook his head and fixed his shirt as he stood up. “Okay, you have all week to decide if you change your mind. Now go on, have fun. Don’t make a huge mess.” Link grinned and darted towards his sisters to resume their chase and tackle game.

* * *

 

The week passed by far too fast, the last day of celebration was already upon them. The visitors had their wagons packed so they’d be ready to leave once the ceremonial fire at noon was lit. Since he was part of the council Ganon was helping with the setup of the pyre on top of the mountain along with most of the other members. He scattered the twelve inches of hair he had cut around the wooden structure, despite how much was sheared off his thick mane still covered his back. Link ended up getting a small trim as well. Ganon clapped his hands a few times to get the remainder of the hairs unstuck from his fingers and he proceeded to check the logs to make sure they were properly stacked.

Down below people were gathering at the base of the mountain to observe the fire, a few last minute offerings of hair and enclosed letters were tossed into the pyre. All of the kids who could play instruments marched out of the Zenali building and arranged themselves in tight rows depending on what it was they played. The younger ones were paired off with an older teen or young adult, it was an ordeal that was surprisingly organized.

The drummers took off and played a simple beat with the exception of the experienced players who added a bit of flair to the beginning of the song. Ganon smiled knowing his son was among the drummers; Link hadn’t been able to make any noises from the horns but he discovered he enjoyed playing the drums. The rest of the band joined in and began the classic ‘Bolero of Power’, everyone else danced casually along. The council members descended the summit and signaled the fifteen torchbearers to begin the ceremony.

The pyre bursted into flames and the torch carriers retreated to avoid the intense heat of the fire. Everyone cheered and downed their drinks, it was now officially the start of a new year, hopefully it would be a prosperous one. After things calmed down, the visiting Gerudo said their goodbyes and left to go on journeys unknown. The cleanup that followed was effortless since most people were good about picking up after themselves.

With the celebration over things started settling and calming down, but there was still one thing he needed to take care of; Link’s birthday. Since his origins and exact age were unknown, Ganon decided to celebrate his son’s birthday on Din’s Day, which was the day after the summer solstice. Children born on that day were said to be blessed with luck and prosperity by the spirits of the desert. Luckily he already had the perfect gift picked out due to the generosity of Link’s archery teachers.

When he went home that night he was unsurprised to see a pile of kids sleeping on the floor, Link was always inviting his sisters and friends from the other buildings over and that was fine so long as they weren’t too destructive. He put out the lights and quietly made his way to his room. The liquid medicine in a vial under his pillow remained undisturbed, he still wanted a better place to hide it so it’d be out of reach of the kids but they also knew better than to go into his room. He pulled the cork and took a swig of the bitter herbal elixir, the taste was something he’d never grow accustomed to. Almost instantaneously he felt it working, drowsiness overcame him as he laid on his bed. Soon he fell into a dreamless slumber, as it was the intention.

The following morning he woke up to Link prodding his side. Without opening his eyes, Ganon reached out and pulled his son to his chest, then he started tickling him. Link giggled and wildly kicked his feet, he was no match against his father. Eventually Ganon opened his eyes and ceased his attack, Link wriggled out of his loose grip and he bounced energetically on the bed. He signed ‘get up’ over and over again, Ganon let out a yawn and groaned as he swung his tired legs over the edge of his low mattress.

When he stood, Link hopped on his back and wrapped his arms around his neck, then he dug his heels into his sides.

“I’m not a horse.” Ganon said while resituating his son so his arms weren’t pressed on his neck. Link pointed forward and urged him to go by lightly kicking again. “You’re lucky it’s your birthday, otherwise I’d throw you off. Alright squirt, let’s go eat.” They made their way to the dining hall and thanked everyone who wished Link a happy birthday. No one thankfully seemed to mind Ganon was still in his sleeping clothes and his hair was an unbrushed mess, they were all too concerned with showering their love over his son.

The food options were leftovers from the previous day’s festivities, not that it was a problem, it was still delicious. They even indulged themselves to a few sweets, it was a special day after all. Once they finished eating, they went to the river and walked along the flooded banks. Small fish swam away as they strolled by, damselflies zoomed in and out of their views, lizards basking on the sand scurried into their dark hiding places.

‘What are we doing?’ Link signed after he let go of his dad’s hand.

“It’s a surprise.” Ganon responded while they followed the bend towards the field. The goats and horses eagerly craned their necks over the fence, all hoping to get either a treat or attention. Link patted their noses as they walked along the pasture, the animals followed them while they strolled.

The massive clouds to the west rumbled and contorted with the wind, the heavy rain it would soon bring was a welcomed sight. The scrubland they resided on, normally brown, was flourishing with green plants that would stick around until the months of rain were over. With luck the wet season would last another four months, but more realistically it would end in less than two.

Link cocked his head and his ears wiggled slightly when they approached the kennel and the hounds started barking. Ganon couldn’t help but smile, he thought the Hylians trait of being able to move their long ears was endearing, especially when paired with that look of curiosity. His sisters warned him that his son’s natural fearlessness and inquisitiveness would get him into trouble someday. That may be true, but today would not be that day, he wouldn’t bring himself to worry about it now.

With a renewed bounce in his step, Ganon led Link into the main building away from the outdoor pens. The inside smelled of wet fur and urine, whoever was in charge today was clearly slacking with their duties. While he hadn’t taken an interest in archery like Link was now, he still knew his way around the kennels despite the sighthounds typically being reserved for those going into one of the various guard positions. He vaguely remembered being caught trying to sneak out when he was a young teen, his punishment had been to work for the kennel master for a month, it had been a crappy job. Literally.

He found the whelping box he was told to pick from, inside was a beige sandhound licking her newly weaned pups. They rolled around on their pudgy bellies and they gnawed on the soiled green towel. All of them yipped and tried climbing out of the box when Link and Ganon reached in to pet them.

“You get to pick which one you want.” Ganon said softly while Link allowed the puppies to lick his face and arms. Link turned and looked at him with disbelief, those wide eyes of his were filled with excitement. “I’m not joking, this was partially your archery teacher’s idea. Go on, they all love you.”

Link smiled then refocused his attention to the squirming pups. He seemed to be having problems choosing only one, but eventually he turned around with brown ball of fur cradled in his arms. The puppy he ended up choosing had a brown and white speckled coat, the tip of her tail and muzzle were solid white. Like all sandhounds, her fur was short save for the feathering on her ears and tail; she was going to be a spoiled dog.

“I’ll take care of her training, you’ll only be in charge of cleaning up after her, alright?” Link nodded while petting his new companion, the hunting dog thumped her tail happily against his chest. Ganon stroked the pup’s ear then he ruffled Link’s hair, who only protested the action a little bit. His son’s ecstatic expression was priceless and heartwarming.

Link was the happiest kid in the land.        

      

 

 

 

      

 


	7. Bonds

 

_Years Later_

 

‘Are you sure this is a good idea?’ Link signed as he surveyed the land. Lesinea had been out of sight for at least an hour now and the sun was in the center of the sky. The land ahead of them was sparse of vegetation and full of massive boulders. He doubted the prey they were searching for was anywhere near them. His dog, Athna, stayed close to his side and watched him intently for a command.

“Yeah, yeah, stop being a baby.” Riku responded with an over the top eye roll. “Come on, we have to hurry.”

As they approached the array of rocks, Link knew he felt the earth rumble. He tapped Riku’s arm to regain her attention.

‘Do you feel that?’

“Feel what?”

‘The ground vibrate.’

They stood still, neither making a noise. The rumbling grew more persistent, the sand to their left moved as if something was swimming underneath it. Riku said something, but it wasn’t loud enough for Link to hear.

‘Repeat please.’ he signed as Athna barked and began pacing. It was unusual for her to act up, she was one of the best trained dogs around.

“We need to get to those rocks, now.” Riku looked mortified, Link had never seen her scared before, save for the exception her being in the presence of their fighting instructor. Together they sprinted to the nearest boulder, ignoring the rumbling behind them. Once they climbed onto the safety of the rock, they looked behind them and saw the form of a giant beast jump into the air. “I-I don’t believe it. I thought Mom was making those stories up.” The monster submerged itself and circled the area, it’s dorsal fins created a dust cloud as it moved through the sand.

Link unraveled his bow and nocked an arrow.

“It’s no use, that thing’s skin is too thick.” Riku sat down and sighed. “I guess we’ll have to wait until it goes away. Hey, where are you going?” Link set his bow down and hopped onto another rock, careful not to step in the sand. He gave Athna the hand signal to stay and she sat on the rock while growling whenever the monster’s fins came too close. “Whatever, just don’t wander off.” In the middle of the rock formation he noticed there were a few bushes. Getting to them was easier than he thought it’d be, and the payoff was worth it. The plants were covered with spiny pink fruits. He bunched the bottom of his hood into his hand and used the cloak like a basket as he picked as many fruits as he could. He carefully went back to Riku and handed her the food.

“Oh, thanks.” Riku pulled out her dagger and peeled the hard skin off the fruit, which had an off-white flesh. She cut it in half and gave a piece to Link, who gladly devoured the food. They ate the fruits in silence while keeping a close eye on the sand monster, which gave no signs of leaving anytime soon.

They’d been told many times before to never venture into the sand wastes, but Link knew there were small herds of antelope out there. He technically wasn’t supposed to have a bow yet either, but he was sure the adults would understand when he came back with a deer or two.

Life lately had been difficult for everyone in Lesinea, food was carefully rationed as was the water supply. They had been in a drought for two years now, and to make matters worse trade with their northern neighbors was for the most part completely cut off. He was only a year away from his official initiation, he wanted to show everyone he was ready to be recognized as a proper Gerudo. Bringing home plump game in these hard times would reflect well on him and his family.

In the distance a cloud of dust rose above the horizon. At first Link thought it might be a rescue party from home, but it was coming from the opposite direction. He nudged Riku awake who had been sleeping for about an hour or two.

“Hmm?” Link pointed in the direction of the dust and waited for her opinion. “I think it's people.” Sure enough, it turned out to be a group of Gerudo hunters on horseback. The sand beast sped towards them, but the hunters clearly knew what they were doing. They dodged the beast and launched harpoons into its side. The hunters held onto their ropes and pulled in opposite directions, ensuring the animal couldn’t move or escape. Someone up front, who Link assumed was the leader, rode to the front of the beast and delivered a final blow.

“Get down.” Riku demanded and they both flattened themselves against the rock. If they didn’t want to be seen Link thought it was a bit late for that. They’d both been watching the hunt in awe. “They can’t see y-”

“You there, show yourself.” a woman’s gruff voice interrupted her. Before they pushed themselves up, Riku signed the word for hood at Link. He took that as a sign to make sure his head remained covered, so he nodded in confirmation before standing up.

“Um, hi.” Riku said with a hesitant wave of her hand.

“Who are you?” the hunter questioned, her hands were still gripped on her spear rather threateningly. The Gerudo who weren’t pulling the sand beast rode over to the rocks.

“I’m Riku, and this is Link. We’re from Lesinea, we got a bit lost.”

“Come down here then, the molduga is taken care of.” Link didn’t know what was going on. Riku kept looking at him with panicked eyes, but they were safe now, and maybe the hunters could even give them a ride home. One of them approached Link and glared at him, in his peripheral vision he could see how nervous Riku looked. What had gotten into her today? She was the toughest person he knew.

“You have something to hide?” the Gerudo in front of him questioned.

“He’s got a birthmark on his face, he doesn’t like to talk about it. Isn’t that right, Link?.” Riku tugged on his arm and started to lead him away. “See, he’s nervous about it. We should really be going home before our families worry about us.”

The hunter grabbed Link’s free arm, stopping both him and Riku in their tracks. Now both of his hands were restrained and he hated that, he could only display his discomfort by shaking his head. He felt the sun hit his head when his cloak was pulled back.

“A Hylian!” the hunter exclaimed, and soon the others were shouting too many things at once for him to focus on. “Take the spies with!” Before he knew it, he was tossed into the back of an enclosed supply wagon with Riku and two hunters sitting on both sides of them. The ride was uneventful and long, by the time they stopped the sun had set. Link shivered as he was escorted out of the wagon, his current clothes were not designed for the cold night desert air.

The camp was large and bustling with life, in the center he could see an enormous yet contained fire. People stopped to stare at him, why did they look so angry? Right now he wanted nothing more than to hide in his dad’s arms. They were escorted to the fire and were seated in front of two people, who he could only assume were the chiefs.

“Well, well, what’s a Hylian doing so far away from home? Explain yourself.” the Gerudo woman spoke and stood up to get a better look at Link. “If you don’t feel like talking then I suppose we can use you as molduga bait.”

“Leave him alone.” Riku butted in, then added, “He’s mute. Please, we want to go home, we’re from Lesinea.” The chief regarded her words for a moment, then turned to one of her guards.

“Send a message to Lesinea, if we don’t have a rider out here by nightfall tomorrow, then we’ll use them for attracting moldugas. Toss them in the hole for now.” The hole turned out to be exactly that, a shallow pit in the ground with a heavy wooden grate covering the top.

It was a new moon, making it impossible to see anything. Link scooted closer to Riku for warmth, and to his surprise she didn’t shove him away. A few stars twinkled above.

“I’m sorry.” Riku said just loud enough for him to hear. He wanted to respond that it wasn’t her fault, but she wouldn’t be able to see his hands. “I know I pick on you a lot, and you’re a little dweeb, but we were raised together and that makes you my little brother.” Link held onto her hand and hoped that conveyed his thoughts, that was the first time Riku acknowledged him as a sibling. She pulled him into a hug and that’s eventually how the two fell asleep.

Link woke up late the following morning, his stomach growled, but there was no food to be found. A lizard basked in the sun, its eyes opened when Link shifted to sit up straight. His clothes were coated in sand and dust, he was sad to discover his cloak was gone, likely it had fallen off when he was taken to this place. The heavy grate enclosing his sister and him was lifted and two guards escorted them out of the dirty pit. They were escorted to a lone tree and they were told to sit while the guards stood on either side of them. Link was pleased to see Athna was tied to it, he didn’t know if the hunters had left her to fend for herself.

Link slumped his head into his hands, he hated doing nothing. This was time he could be using to practice his archery or fighting. Instead he was wasting time sitting in the hot sand, his guards looked equally bored. They occasionally looked at him in disdain and muttered a few unkind words. He didn’t know what their problem was, nor did he know why they thought he was Hylian. He actually didn’t know what a Hylian looked like, to his knowledge he’d never met one before, but still he was Gerudo, there wasn’t a reason for these people to accuse him of such things.

“Where are they?!” a voice bellowed out, Link immediately recognized it as his dad’s, he sounded incredibly angry. He lifted his head and smiled with relief when he saw his dad and a couple of his aunts walking towards Riku and him. They did not look pleased, everyone moved out of their way as they stomped towards the tree.

Both of Riku’s moms shoved aside the guards, no one dared to get in their way. They made sure both Riku and Link were okay and they untied Athna from the tree who instantly went to Link’s side. There was too much argument and discussion around for Link to focus on any of the conversations, all he knew was that no one seemed all that thrilled with the meeting.

“I’m so sorry, Link.” Riku whispered as one of her moms hoisted her up onto a horse and they rode off towards home. A small cloud of dust kicking up in the air was the only sign of their continued ride.

“He’s clearly but a child!” Dad’s voice boomed from behind and before he knew it, Link was placed atop the massive stallion. His dad said nothing as they rode away from the camp, Athna kept a steady pace behind them. Eventually the loose sand turned into the more solid scrub land Link was used to, more familiar plant life sprouted sparsely in the dry cracks of the earth.

By the time Lesinea was in view the horse was at a fumbling trot, his breaths were heavy and his nostrils were flared, his coat was damp with sweat. Link wanted reprimand his dad for pushing the poor animal to its limits, but he could tell now was not the time for that. He’d never seen Dad look so angry before, he could practically feel the negative energy radiating off of him.

When they rode on the street, a few familiar people waved to Link, clearly they were happy to see he was okay. It dawned on him that he made a lot of people worry over him, but it wasn’t his fault! If those wandering Gerudo hadn’t kept him and Riku overnight, then everything would have been just fine and they both would have returned before a day passed.

When the horse was returned to the field, Link tried whistling for Athna to follow him, but she refused. She sat near a fence post and growled, that was unusual behavior for her. Since she refused to move from the spot then she would have to sleep outside for the night.

Link had to jog in order to keep up with his dad’s stride, they both remained silent as they made their way home. The walk up the stairs seemed longer than normal, Link guessed it was because of how exhausted he felt. On top of that there was a sense of foreboding he couldn’t quite explain. Usually he was excited to spend time with his dad, but now there was something wrong, he didn’t want to be anywhere near him.

“Go to your room.” Link didn’t have to be told twice, he scurried off to his room and slammed the door. He understood why he was in trouble, the sand wastes were forbidden for children to go into, and for good reason. He never would have imagined that such terrifying beasts lived in those lands, and the people there didn’t seem as friendly as his family was. Despite that, he was still upset.

In his frustration, he paced around his room a few times before sitting down in front of his book shelf. He may not be able to leave the confines of his room, that didn’t mean he couldn’t do anything. After looking at his various books, he picked a random one and began reading it.

The cover was made of worn brown leather, the pages were yellowed with age, at least the print was large so it was easy enough to read. It was a Hylian tale about a knight who went on a journey to save a princess, he was brave and fought off fearsome monsters. The book was different from the others in his small collection, it had been a gift from Riku’s moms on his birthday a year previously. Hylian stories were a bit different from Gerudo ones, it seemed they preferred to read tales of knights and princesses. That was okay, it gave him a little taste of something different.

By the time he finished the story, it was night time. His dad had yet to come talk to him or give him permission to leave. He hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday, his stomach rumbled and begged for him to eat something. Quietly he unlatched the door and peeked out, Dad was nowhere in sight. Taking the opportunity, he left his room and hastily made his way to the dining hall. It seemed it was later than he thought it was, there was hardly any food left. He grabbed a roll of bread and ate it with what little cactus jelly he was offered.

He felt the presence of someone behind him, when he turned he saw it was only one of his aunts. She looked under the weather, there were bags under her eyes and she looked more thin than normal, yet Link still recognized her. She was none other than his blood aunt, Jia; she had never said more than one sentence to him in his life. Normally she side eyed him or frowned at him from afar, it was weird to see her so close, and for once she didn’t have a disgusted look on her face.

Link, not knowing what to do, offered his jelly slathered roll to her. She chuckled and smiled, neither of which Link had ever seen her do before.

“Eat it, you need it if you ever want to stop being so scrawny.” Link shrugged and finished off the last few bites of his meager supper. Jia didn’t leave, he almost felt uncomfortable with her presence. She never talked to him, why was she being friendly all of a sudden?  “Your Dad is in the Grenat building right now, he doesn’t know you’re not in your room.” Oh. Perhaps she was going to tell on him. “Come on, follow me.”

Link decided to follow her, he feared if he didn’t she would inform Dad he was out without permission. They walked to the Bentu building, it was one Link had never been in before. It was directly behind the Adinaya building, it was one of the more recently built additions to the commune. Inside was different than the older buildings, the walls were painted in yellows and browns rather than having exposed clay and rock walls.

They walked down a set of stairs, tapestries and paintings covered the staircase, they had all sorts of different subject materials. Adinaya didn’t have a basement, so it was a new experience for Link when they entered an enormous room. Along the back walls were targets of all sizes and several lockers filled with all sorts of different weapons.

“Do you know what this place is?” Jia asked while taking a seat on one of the few chairs. Link shook his head and stared at his aunt. “It’s an indoor exercise and training area, nothing more. Usually it's only for the Bentu family, but I have connections. Come on, let’s see what you can do.”

Link went to a locker and grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows. He stood next to his aunt and started shooting at the targets, he aimed for the big and close ones first, even though he knew it’d be more impressive if he hit the smaller ones. Still, hitting the easier targets was good practice, he eventually would get to the harder targets. He took his time shooting the smaller targets, eventually he ran out of arrows and he went around to collect them from the sand filled targets. He repeated the process a few more times, he didn’t know if Jia was ever going to give him permission to stop.

“It’s interesting you go for the big targets first,” Jia remarked, her head rested against her hand, “most people I know go for the challenging ones.” Link frowned and lowered the bow, did she really bring him down here to make fun of him? “There’s no shame in that. If this were a battlefield, you’d want to hit the definite targets. There’s no time for showing off in a fight to the death. That being said, go on, aim for the smaller ones, there’s no one here to judge you, take your time.”

Link heeded her words and took aim at the more difficult targets. It took more time to hit them, and in the end he missed two. A bit disappointed, he placed the bow down and collected the arrows once more, he somberly walked towards Jia and lazily put the arrows back in the quiver.

“Hey now, none of that. You did a great job, you’re better than I was at your age, that’s something to be proud of. Now come on, I want to see if what else they say is true.” Link hurriedly put the bow away and followed his aunt outside to the pasture. He was glad he was wearing warmer clothes, the night air was chilly and caused him to shiver. He climbed over the fence and walked over to the grazing horses, it dawned on him that he didn’t know what it was Jia wanted him to do.

He hopped onto one of the unbroken horse’s backs and petted its neck when it knickered and stomped its hooves in frustration. Link patted it reassuringly and did nothing for a few moments, eventually it became used to him and stopped being so agitated. He whistled low and dug his heels into the horse’s flanks, it whinnied and cantered forward. They did a few laps around the pasture, Link was too exhilarated from the ride to remember he was freezing.

Link dismounted and let the horse wander away, he hoped that’s what Jia wanted to see from him. Clearly she was impressed, there was a slight bit of smile scrawled on her face.

“So it is true, it seems you have a way with animals. Most horses like that take weeks of training until they let you ride them. Come now, it’s too cold to be standing around here.” Link silently agreed. Together they walked home, his dad was still gone. Jia sat on the couch and made herself comfortable, Link awkwardly stood in front of her. “I’m sorry.”

Link didn’t know why she was apologizing, he didn’t know how to respond other than shrugging his shoulders.

“There’s more to being Gerudo than being born into it, you know. It’s all about the effort one puts into it. I regret treating you the way I have in the past, can you forgive me?” So that’s what this was about. With a smile on his face, Link nodded. “I am glad. There’s something I’d like to tell you-”

Before she could tell him whatever it was she wanted to say, the door swung open.

“Link? What are you doing out of your room?” Dad asked with a serious face, he frowned and crossed his arms.

“Don’t take it out on him, I was the one who told him it was okay.” Jia responded cooly.

“Jia?”

“And what were you thinking? Were you not going to feed your own child? Honestly, I expected better of you.”

“What are you-”

“But don’t worry, I made sure to feed him for you. Poor thing’s going to be scrawny forever at this rate.”

“Jia-”

“Yes, thanks for reminding me my name, I nearly forgot it. Sheesh, Gan, you act like you’ve never snuck out when you were his age.”

“What-”

“By the way, did you know Link can use a bow better than even some of his older siblings? Incredible!” With an irritated sigh, Dad rubbed his forehead and and muttered something under his breath.

“Link,” he finally said in a calm tone, “please go to bed, we’ll talk in the morning.”

Link obeyed and made himself comfortable under his blankets. He couldn’t hear what his dad and aunt were talking about which was a bit of a shame, he was curious.

There were too many thoughts running in his head, it was difficult for him to fall asleep. He was still thinking about the nomadic Gerudo tribe and about what they had called him. A Hylian. Could that be true? He didn’t see how that could be, this was the only life he knew. There was no way that was possible, and yet, he still had his doubts.

Eventually he was able to fall asleep, he had a feeling all would be revealed to him sooner rather than later.

  


End file.
